Dennis Drazin of Monmouth Park racecourse is to be the third industry stalwart to be inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame.
Drazin will join former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Las Vegas bookmaking legend Art Manteris in the latest intake of the Hall of Fame, curated by SBC (Sports Betting Community).
The Hall of Fame ceremony is being held on 25 April 2019 at Sky Room in Manhattan (330 West 40th Street) and is part of the closing party of the biggest dedicated sports betting conference in the US – Betting on Sports America – which is being held at the nearby Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey.
Drazin has a long association with horse racing in the state of New Jersey over the last five decades, first as a fan, then as a racehorse owner and currently as the CEO of Darby Development, the operator of Monmouth Park.
An advisor since the 1990s to the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Drazin also became chairman of the New Jersey Racing Commission in 2009.
In 2012 he took the reins at Monmouth Park, something that saw him billed as the racetrack’s saviour. The venue entered New Jersey history when it took the first legal sports wager by Governor Phil Murphy on 14 June 2018.
Drazin commented: “Horseracing and betting have been a big part of my life ever since my dad brought me to the races in the 1960s. It’s fantastic to be recognised by my peers for something I enjoy doing so much.”
Sue Schneider, Community Director at SBC, added: “In an industry that isn’t shy of them, Dennis is a tenacious character and he played a key part in getting sports betting legalised in New Jersey. He’s definitely earned his berth in the Hall of Fame.”
The purpose of the Hall of Fame, first established by SBC in 2016, is to honour, preserve and perpetuate the names and outstanding accomplishments of personalities who have added true value to the sports betting sector.
The Hall of Fame’s esteemed members are Mark Blandford, Carsten Koerl, Howard Chisholm, Paris Smith, Fred Done, Vigen Badalyan, Pontus Lindwall, Fabio Schiavolin, Warwick Bartlett, Norbert Teufelberger, Constantinos Antonopoulos, Art Manteris and Chris Christie.