Thoroughbred Times: Betfair Positioning Itself For New Jersey Exchange Wagering

Here's an article from a couple of weeks ago about how Betfair is beginning to position itself in an attempt to operate exchange wagering in New Jersey (and to a lesser extent California): http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2011/03/09/betfair-us-exchange-wagering.aspx.

In addition to the items that the article discusses, it's pretty obvious that the reason that Betfair was one of the applicants who expressed an interest in operating Monmouth Park was part of this strategy as well. That would serve a two-fold purpose:
1. A strong Monmouth Park is critical to the success of exchange wagering in New Jersey.
2. A local presence in New Jersey would give Betfair a leg up in the jockeying for position to become an exchange wagering operator for NJ. It's highly likely that politicians will favor "local businesses" when awarding rights to operate this lucrative business.