New Jersey’s landmark casino legislation has taken a hit, thanks to an amendment which would remove bettors’ ability to place wagers through both the internet and mobile phones. Passed by a vote of 54 to 15 in early December, the law was initially slated to include provisions for online gaming. This lighter version of the bill is expected to make it to the desk of Governer Chris Christie sometime this January.

Even if governor Christie signs the bill into law, however, the legalization of sportsbetting within the state will have to wait for its date in court. Senator Raymod Lesniak, a longtime proponent of expanded gaming law, is planning to bring a federal lawsuit against the Professional and Amateur Sports Promotion Act (PASPA), which prohibits such activities on a nationwide scale. Such an attempt was made once before, though little good came from the effort. For now, all the lawmakers can do is continue the march.

“We want our casinos and racetracks to hit the ground running,” said General Assembly Member John Burzichelli, “should New Jersey prove successful in overturning this unfair federal law and this is a step in the right direction.”

“New Jersey,” he goes on to say, “must be on the forefront of this gaming option should the opportunity arise and this bill will accomplish that goal. We’ll be ready to go once we work through the legislative process.”

This is a rather curious remark, considering that the New Jersey government has removed online gaming entirely from the new law. If the state really desires to be at the forefront of internet gaming, it will need to come up with an alternative piece of legislation to bring them into the race.

Still, the legalization of sportsbetting at their casinos and racetracks would certainly constitute a step in the right direction. The revenues generated by such a change will draw attention to moneymaking potential of online gaming. Once the state government gets a whiff of the potential profits, it would be surprising if they failed to take another shot at the online market.