New Jersey Assembly approves egaming bill
A2578 will now face full floor vote in the Senate on Thursday " Governor's support for legislation remains unclear
A bill which would allow New Jersey residents to play poker and casino games online was approved by the state Assembly yesterday.
A2578, sponsored by Senator Raymond Lesniak, will now face a full floor vote in the Senate on Thursday before heading to Governor Chris Christie’s desk for final approval.
The bill passed by a vote of 48-24-4 in the Assembly and is widely expected to clear the Senate later this week, however it remains unclear whether Christie, who vetoed a similar bill in 2011, will give it the green light.
Unlike proposed legislation in California and current regulation in Nevada, A2578 would allow Atlantic City casinos to offer a full range of online gambling, including casino games.
Lesniak had hoped the bill would be passed before the end of New Jersey’s previous legislative session which ended in July. However it was delayed until autumn amid uncertainty over whether state Governor Christie would put his name to the regulation.
The Garden State missed the chance to become the first US state to regulate online gambling in 2011 when Christie refused to pass Lesniak’s S490 bill.
Assemblyman John Burzichelli, a key sponsor of the legislation, said of the bill’s progress: “This is another key piece of our effort to boost New Jersey’s gaming industry by expanding and modernizing our wagering options.
“This will rejuvenate our tourist industry while increasing employment, capital investment and much needed urban redevelopment.”
Lesniak has long argued that regulation of egaming would help salvage Atlantic City’s casinos which are facing declining revenues. Just six years ago, the city achieved its best gross gaming revenue since gambling was legalised in New Jersey, but profits have decreased ever since and last year the casinos recorded their worst results since 1993.