New Jersey egaming bill makes progress

New Jersey’s online gambling bill could be passed before the end of the year after an amended version was approved in the state Assembly on Tuesday.

According to NorthJersey.com, Senator Raymond Lesniak, Bill A2578’s primary sponsor, predicts the bill will face a vote by the full Assembly on 17 December and a Senate vote by 20 December. It would then be sent to Governor Chris Christie’s desk for final approval.

“It’s still not too late for Atlantic City to become the Silicon Valley of internet gaming,” Lesniak said.

The bill would allow Atlantic City casinos to offer a full range of online gambling, including casino games, in a move which directly contradicts Nevada Senator Harry Reid’s poker-only federal bill.

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.

“Because of Christie’s ambivalence on it and him sending messages that he doesn’t want it to go through until the fall, we’re having trouble getting enough Democratic votes to pass it because of opposition from the racing industry,” Lesniak said at the time.

New Jersey missed the chance to become the first US state to regulate online gambling in 2011 when Christie refused to pass Lesniak’s S490 bill.

Since then, Nevada has passed online poker legislation and begun issuing licences to operators and service providers with real-money play expected early in 2013, while Delaware has also approved the regulated of online poker and casino games.

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.