With two $20 bets and a rambunctious crowd awaiting their turn, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy placed the state's very first legal sports bets on Thursday, capping a years-long battle to end the ban on sports betting in the Garden State.
"This is a huge step forward for gaming, for the tracks, for the economy of this state," Murphy said before placing his bets, with a crowd of media swarming him as he stepped to the counter at Monmouth Park Racetrack.
Murphy's wagers — that Germany will win the World Cup and the New Jersey Devils will take home hockey's Stanley Cup next year — may not seem monumental.