William Hill U.S. poised for sports betting in New Jersey

LAS VEGAS -- William Hill U.S., the Las Vegas-based subsidiary of Britain’s largest bookmaker, is pleased with its sponsorship and the July 28 outcome of the 46th running of the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

In case you missed the race, Verrazano cruised to win by 9 3/4 lengths over Power Broker.

“We were really happy with being the race’s title sponsor,” said Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill U.S. “Our sponsorship is part of a bigger deal.”

William Hill will become the racetrack’s exclusive sports betting provider if New Jersey’s effort to legalize sports betting succeeds. A New Jersey referendum legalizing sports betting is being challenged in federal court by the four professional sports leagues and the NCAA.

Until there is a court ruling, the bookmaker is offering a “free-play” form of sports wagering.

William Hill will operate a sports book, where customers will pick NFL games against the spread. In free play, no money is placed on an event, but customers who choose the winning teams or players can earn prizes or cash.

Asher said the minimum cash prize is $50,000. William Hill expects to make a sizable investment in building a Las Vegas-style race and sports book if betting is allowed.

“We are going to get people used to playing football at Monmouth Park, and build our database,” Asher said.