Yesterday reportedly saw New Jersey become the second state to take advantage of a recent United States Supreme Court ruling after it launched legalized sportsbetting services on a wide range of collegiate and professional sports for anyone over the age of 21.

According to a Thursday report from digital news content provider, NJ.com, New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy (pictured), travelled to the eastern state’s Monmouth Park Racetrack in order to place the inaugural wagers, which encompassed $20 bets on Germany to triumph at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the New Jersey Devils franchise to win next season’s edition of the National Hockey League.

“I’m betting $20 on Germany to win the World Cup and $20 on the New Jersey Devils to win Lord Stanley’s Cup,” Murphy told the hundreds of sportsbetting aficionados that had assembled at the Monmouth County venue early yesterday morning.

NJ.com reported that the Democrat later made his way to Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in order to lodge a pair of additional $20 wagers before stating that he hopes sportsbetting will help New Jersey to attract additional tourists and increase footfall in local restaurants, hotels and retail establishments.

The 60-year-old told local radio broadcaster, WCBS, that the first year of legalized sportsbetting in New Jersey is expected to see the state collect around $13 million in additional taxes, which he described as ‘a lot more modest than people would have guessed.’

“We’ll take it, by the way, [as] we could use every penny,” the Governor reportedly declared.

The launch of legalized sportsbetting in New Jersey follows a May ruling from the United States Supreme Court that invalidated the previous Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) federal prohibition, which had largely limited sports wagering to Nevada. Delaware subsequently became the first state to take advantage of the decision after its three casinos began taking sports bets last week while Monday saw Murphy sign new sportsbetting legislation into law after its unanimous passage by both houses of the New Jersey Legislature.

NJ.com had earlier reported that this legislation forbids sportsbetting on high school contests or on any collegiate event taking place in New Jersey or involving one the state’s teams with all operations to be overseen by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Last week saw The Record newspaper detail that the measure is to require all land-based sportsbetting venues in New Jersey to hand over 8.5% of their proceeds to the state while an additional 1.25% levy is to be earmarked for use by host municipalities and counties or the Meet AC marketing campaign. The legislation is to moreover permit properties to offer online sports wagering including via mobile some 30 days after they commence their more traditional services with all of these remote operations subsequently taxed at 13%.