TRENTON--A state Senate committee has approved a measure that calls for legalized sports betting at New Jersey casinos and horse racing tracks.

It would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment to allow in-person and account wagering on sporting events.

But before that could become a reality, the state would also need a legal victory in a federal lawsuit filed last year that seeks to overturn a federal ban on sports betting in New Jersey and 45 other states.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, who sponsored the legislation and filed the lawsuit, said he'll ask top lawmakers to support the suit.

Monday's vote by the State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, was 4-0 with one abstention.