Drazin headed to Sports Betting Hall of Fame

Posted: April 13, 2019

Dennis Drazin, who spearheaded the effort to make sports betting legal in New Jersey and ultimately throughout the United States, will be inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame April 25 in a ceremony that in New York City, the organization said.

Drazin, a longtime Thoroughbred owner and breeder, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth Park on behalf of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. He will be inducted along with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and prominent Las Vegas bookmaker Art Manteris.

Drazin was a major player in a seven-year legal battle to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, and in May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court did so. The decision paved the way for legalized sports betting, which had been restricted to four states. One of them is Delaware, which was able to greatly expand its sports betting options after the high court ruling.

Monmouth accepted the first legal sports wagers in New Jersey last June after partnering with William Hill U.S. to handle sports betting at the track and through online platforms. According to a Monmouth release, the induction ceremony will take place at the Sky Room in Manhattan and is being held in conjunction with the Betting on Sports America conference at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey.

“I’m honored to be recognized for my accomplishments in the industry and I look forward to continued success at Monmouth Park,” Drazin said.

“In an industry that isn’t shy of them, Dennis is a tenacious character and he played a key part in getting sports betting legalized in New Jersey,” said Sue Schnieder, Community Director at the Sports Betting Community, which curates the Sports Betting Hall of Fame.

Sports betting at Monmouth is part of the track’s overall plan to increase revenue and its customer base and in turn improve its racing product. Darby Development was also successful earlier this year in winning legislative approval of a $10 million purse supplement for the 2019 Thoroughbred racing season.

(Dennis Drazin photo by THA)