NJ Assembly gives green light to mobile gambling in casinos
Bill to allow gambling anywhere on casino grounds approved by a state Assembly committee yesterday.
A bill which would allow Atlantic City casino customers to gamble on mobile devices away from gaming floors has been approved by a state Assembly committee.
The bill would see guests able to play electronic gambling games on wireless handheld devices anywhere in the grounds of licensed Atlantic City hotels, such as by the swimming pool or in their rooms, although not from parking areas.
An amended version of AB 2575 was introduced by legislators in February to provide a boost to the city’s casinos – which have suffered huge declines in revenues in recent years – after being approached by a mobile gambling device manufacturer.
Assembly Appropriations Committee Chairman John Burzichelli said at yesterday’s hearing: “We see Atlantic City doing well in non-gaming areas [such as] the [hotel] rooms and the restaurants, and we hope the gaming picks up as well. The mobile devices are designed to be an amenity “ I don’t think [the ability to bet on mobile devices is] going to be a big driver; it is just going to be another amenity that makes Atlantic City attractive [in order] to compete with Las Vegas, which already has them.”
Dave Schwartz, head of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Centre for Gaming Research, added that the bill would help “modernise the industry” and “stay ahead”.
Only two people testified against the bill at the hearing, both members of the Casino Revenue Fund Advisory Commission. They voiced concerns over the impact the law would have on casino revenue and therefore the contributions made to social programmes.
The bill, sponsored by Assemblymen John Amodeo and Chris A. Brown, progresses to a full Assembly vote.
“There are so many things to do at Atlantic City’s casinos and hotels, it just makes sense to allow guests to take their games along with them,” said Amodeo at the hearing. “Why not win a few hands of blackjack while relaxing at the pool?”
Full-scale online gambling has been inching closer to reality in New Jersey, following the state Assembly’s approval of Senator Lesniak’s egaming bill A2578 earlier this month.
It follows its companion bill S1565, which passed out of a Senate committee last month. Both bills will now progress to full floor votes in their respective chambers, and while no date has been set it, is likely to be before July’s recess.