Placing a Bet at the Diner

A New Jersey Senate panel will vet a bill that would create horse racing betting sites in the state's northern counties, and part of Ocean County, where electronic wagering terminals can be placed at a limited number of bars and restaurants.

The measure would essentially create mini off-track wagering sites, according to the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill, N.J.

The measure limits the program to Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Union, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex, and northern Middlesex and Ocean counties.

Host municipalities would collect a local impact fee of 1 percent from each betting machine's gross revenues. Other funds would go to horse racing purses and be used to prevent underage gambling, according to the Courier-Post.

Current legislation calls for 15 full-scale OTW (off-track wagering sites), but after more than 10 years since the law was enacted the only sites developed are in Woodbridge, Toms River and Vineland.