Jersey to start phone bets

New Jersey plans to begin allowing telephone and computer betting on horse racing by Oct. 30, the day of the Breeders' Cup, state racing officials said Monday.

The account-wagering system, approved by the New Jersey Racing Commission on Thursday, will take wagers from New Jersey residents only, but will offer betting on a full menu of tracks. Under legislation that established the legality of account wagering, the system, which is owned by the racetracks in the state, will be the only authorized account-wagering operation in the state for New Jersey residents.

Bruce Garland, the executive vice president of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the owner and operator of The Meadowlands and Monmouth Park, said that the operation hopes to begin accepting applications for accounts within the next few weeks.

Although the New Jersey Racing Commission granted its final approval to the account-wagering system on Thursday, the plan must still be approved by the New Jersey attorney general. Frank Zanzuccki, the executive director of the New Jersey Racing Commission, said that the commission has received no information indicating that the attorney general will have any problem with the plan.