In New Jersey, the new sportsbook at Meadowlands Racetrack is reportedly proving popular after it took almost $3.5 million in wagers during its first nine days including in excess of $650,000 on Saturday.

According to a Monday report from the Associated Press news service cited by local television broadcaster, WNYT-TV, the new sportsbetting operation is being run in partnership with American daily fantasy sports firm, FanDuel Incorporated, which was recently acquired by Dublin-based bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair, and went live from July 14.

Success despite All-Star Game break:

Operated by New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC, Meadowlands Racetrack now features the closest legal sportsbook to New York City while the facility’s initial life came during a period that is traditionally slow for bookmakers due to Major League Baseball’s annual All-Star Game break.

Jeff Gural, Chairman for New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC, told the news service that his facility’s new sportsbook had done ‘okay’ in spite of the fact that it only offered ten live-teller windows and was not yet ‘at full strength.’

“Our goal the first weekend was to exceed $1million, which we did,” Gural told the Associated Press before revealing that the Bergen County operation is soon due to be expanded. “The next four days were quiet with nothing to bet on due to the All-Star [Game] break.”

New Jersey takes advantage of PASPA reverse:

Last month saw New Jersey become only the second American jurisdiction to legalize sportsbetting following the May ruling from the United States Supreme Court that invalidated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992. The eastern state’s Monmouth Park Racetrack and Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa subsequently began offering sports wagers from June 14 before being followed two weeks later by the recently-opened Ocean Resort Casino.

The initial 16-day period saw the trio of sportsbooks generate some $16.4 million in wagers while the Associated Press reported that this figure is expected to be eclipsed by July’s full-month tally, which will be released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement on August 14.