Legalized sports betting brings buzz to Monmouth Park, but will it last? | Politi

They were already lined up, the legal-sized sheets of paper with today's odds in their greedy hands, when Gov. Phil Murphy finally turned toward the betting windows at Monmouth Park in Oceanport.

He was here to place the first legal sports bet in New Jersey history, but the way the crowd of gamblers made a mad rush to get in behind him to make their own wagers, I wondered: Would the governor get crushed before he could put his $20 on Germany to win the World Cup?

And, more importantly, could I get odds on that?

This was a historic day in the state, that's for sure. But it was also a surreal one. I'm not sure what I expected when I walked into Monmouth Park at 10 a.m. on a perfect spring day, but I certainly didn't expect the scene that unfolded at the old racetrack.

The media presence, of course, was no surprise. The number of regular people here -- if you set the over/under on the crowd size at a thousand, I would take the over -- was something else entirely. What will it look like in a week? Good question.

But, on the first day, it was clear that people were ready and waiting -- and ready to wait. I waited more than 20 minutes to place my first bet. A man at the front of the line was up there so long, I wasn't sure if he was betting on the Mets or trying to buy them.

Finally, when it was my turn, I was ready.

"Can I bet $5 on Rutgers to win the college football national championship?" I asked.

The teller, it turns out, was ready, too.

"NO!" she told me. "This guy is trying to trick me!"

Alas, you can even work around that prohibition on betting on the state's college teams. Rutgers isn't listed on the betting sheet, but you'll find it there, on the very bottom.

"FIELD -- 250/1."

I put $5 on the Edmonton Eskimos to win in Week 1 action in the Canadian Football League, because why not? You can bet on everything.

Think the Jets will win the Super Bowl? That wager will get you 100 to 1 odds, and no, you can't write it off on your taxes. Like A.J. Allmendinger to win the NASCAR title? Well, Mrs. Allmendinger, you'll get 2,000 to 1 odds on that. Think Uruguay and Egypt will play to a draw in the World Cup? A $100 bet will earn $260, and also, please seek help.

A professional handicapper named Stu Feiner put $5,000 on the White Sox to win, which led me to ask the logical follow question: Win what? Even the "professionals" had lost their marbles.

The bar at the William Hill sports book looked like a Manhattan nightclub when it opened at 10:30 a.m. The first live event, Russia vs. Saudi Arabia, was on the flat screen TVs, and when Russia scored to take a 1-0 lead, several fans roared with delight.

The lesson: Even Putin is popular here, so long as you've got your rubles on his favorite team.

Within a couple hours, the crowd started to thin out a bit. The politicians who fought in court for nine years for this day are counting on legalized gambling to save the horse racing industry and give Atlantic City a much needed boost, and it certainly can't hurt.

It was still hard not to wonder: Are people really going to schlep down to the racetrack on a Sunday in November to bet on the NFL? By then, they'll be able to do so on their phones and computers from the comfort of their living rooms. The newness is going to wear off.

Monmouth Park has everything that Vegas has now, except for the casinos, the fancy hotels, the five-star restaurants, the all-you-can-eat buffets, the entertainment, the shopping, the swimming pools, the showgirls and, well, Vegas. Monmouth really isn't much of an attraction on its own.

I found myself wondering: If my Edmonton Eskimos covered the seven points against Winnipeg, was I really going to drive all the way back here to cash that $5 bet? I'd lose my winnings in Parkway tolls.

All of the concerns, however, were for another day. Hundreds of people came to this old racetrack on a weekday morning to make a legal sports bet in New Jersey for the first time, and based on the reaction when those windows opened, they had waited a long time for the chance.

Governor Murphy made it out alive. Will his beloved Germany win the World Cup and make him a winner? Check the odds and get in line.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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