NJ Senator Lesniak recovering from minor stroke
Leading egaming proponent says "all tests were clear" after incident last Wednesday.
One of the United States’ leading proponents of online gambling regulation, New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak, is recovering from a minor stroke suffered last week.
According to local news site NJ.com, the 66 year old Senator was playing golf with a neurologist friend when he the stroke occurred, with symptoms worsening as the day went on.
“After I got off the golf course I was driving. I was having a hard time, veering into the other lane,” Lesniak is quoted as saying.
“All my arteries are clear. Something just got loose and went up to my brain in the balance area. I was in the hospital one day. Every single test was all clear. I’ve just got to slow down my hard charging self a little bit.”
It is unknown whether the incident will change his plans to return to frontline politics when the New Jersey legislative session recommences in September.
Lesniak has long led the fight to regulate online gambling in New Jersey, having first introduced a bill in January 2010 which would have allowed Atlantic City’s casinos to offer online versions of their games including poker, blackjack and baccarat.
However he has faced stiff opposition, not least from Governor Chris Christie who vetoed his bill last year and delayed any decision on whether to approve the latest version until October at the earliest.
The former Man of the Year, as voted by the Jewish National Fund and American Society, has also led efforts to allow sports betting in New Jersey.
The federal Professional Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (Paspa) permits sports betting in only four states – Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Delaware. Lesniak, with the support of Governor Christie this time, argues that the law is unconstitutional as it discriminates against the people of New Jersey.
New Jersey politicians released proposed sports betting regulations in July. The amended Casino Control Act and Casino Simulcasting Act permits over-the-counter (OTC) and account wagering at casinos and racetracks on “certain professional and collegiate sports or athletic events”.