New Jersey’s push to legalize sports betting took a dramatic turn on Tuesday with news that state legislators had filed a so-called ‘nuclear option’ bill.

Last week, New Jersey Assemblymen Ralph Caputo and John Burzichelli filed A4303, which would remove and repeal all of the state’s prohibitions on betting on pro, college or amateur sporting events. The bill’s existence was first noticed by the New Jersey Law Journal’s Michael Booth.

The bill basically follows the direction of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which has twice rejected New Jersey’s attempts to overturn the federal PASPA sports betting prohibition. While the Court blocked the state’s efforts to explicitly authorize sports betting within its borders, the Court also insisted New Jersey retained the option of totally foregoing enforcement of laws prohibiting the activity.

The Court never really expected New Jersey to exercise this ‘nuclear option,’ given that the state’s desire to overturn PASPA was intended to benefit Atlantic City’s struggling casinos and state racetracks. But A4303 would allow corner bookies to ply their trade openly, meaning state bettors – even those under 21 years of age – would have no need to go to casinos or tracks to place their wagers.