New Jersey will not be taking any bets on the famed Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest next month.
It has been held annually on the Fourth of July on nearby Coney Island and has become so popular it gets nationwide TV coverage.
New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, however, has turned down requests to allow betting on the event, Bookies.com reported this week.
Traditional sporting contests like those run by the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL all have permanent wagering approval in New Jersey. However non-sporting contests do require official approval and while some like this year’s Oscars get it, others don’t.
The up-coming Coney Island Contest where the winner is likely to stuff 75 or more hot dogs down his throat is clearly one of them. And it’s not an altogether surprising decision when you ask if hot-dog guzzling is appropriate
The gluttons’ antics might amaze the throngs who urge them on, but it’s hardly an attractive and inspiring spectacle. It’s also wide open to fraudulent betting.
As the flagship state of the sports betting break-through in the US, New Jersey is renowned for its pro-sports betting stance.
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NJ led court battle to have sports betting unbanned
It led the court battle that brought down the Federal law forbidding sports betting in most states outside of Nevada.
It then became the first previously-banned state to launch legal in-person and online sports betting. And in its first year, its 14 sportsbooks have brought in betting handle of nearly three billion dollars
Right now it is way out in front in every way – more betting, more revenue, and more sportsbooks, etc – than any of state new to sports betting. In these circumstances, it is likely that it feels it should be setting standards which limit what you can bet on.
Nevada, where sports-betting has always been legal and which is still the biggest state in the business, feels differently.
Bets on the Coney Island eating contest are being taken there. For instance, there is an over/under wager on the go for the total number of hot dogs consumed at 73.5.
The reigning champion, 11-time winner Joey Chestnut, put away 74 last year.
