New Jersey State Senator Introduces Online Poker BillLegislation Would Allow Atlantic City Casinos to Offer Online Gambling |
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While supporters of intrastate online poker in California are still trying to secure a legislator to sponsor their bill, a New Jersey state senator has introduced a bill in the Garden State that would grant licenses to Atlantic City casinos for online gambling.
“There are probably 500,000 online poker players in New Jersey alone,” said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), the sponsor of the new bill, “and we’re missing out on around $100 million in revenue.”
The introduction of the bill — one of the first in the country to explicitly legalize and regulate online poker and other forms of Internet gambling within the boundaries of a single state — comes the same month as reports that New Jersey casinos had suffered their worst year since 1997. The gaming industry raised $3.9 billion in 2009, a 13.2 percent decline from 2008.
What is especially troubling for New Jersey casinos is that the situation doesn’t look like it will get better anytime soon without some major changes, especially with the new gambling laws that are being discussed and implemented in nearby states.
Neighboring Pennsylvania passed legislation earlier this month that legalized table games, including poker, in the state’s casinos. Those games are expected to be up and running by summertime. Last week, the Delaware House easily passed a bill to legalize table games by a 27-5 vote. The governor of the state has said that if the state senate passes the bill, he will sign it into law. Delaware is a drive of less than 90 minutes from Atlantic City.
“[Legalizing online intrastate gambling] would be a big boost to the casino industry in Atlantic City,” Lesniak told the Press of Atlantic City Media Group. “It’s a bold move, and in this economy we need bold moves.”
Lesniak’s bill would allow New Jersey residents to gamble online — and not just at poker. Online blackjack and baccarat would also be explicitly legal, and all casino revenue from the new games would be taxed at 20 percent — 12 percent higher than the top tax rate of any current casino. The state senator has introduced a separate bill to legalize sports betting in New Jersey, both in casinos and online.
Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan, Jr. has spoken out in favor of the bill, and he says that poker players in New Jersey would still be able to play at their favorite current poker sites. iMEGA said in a press release that it worked with New Jersey legislators on the new bill.
“We’re happy that New Jersey has taken this issue into their own hands,” said Brennan. “New Jersey is recognized as having the toughest gaming regulators in the U.S., but as a leading gaming state with a long track record of doing things the right way, Internet gambling will have a great home here and the opportunity to begin normalizing the industry.”
Brennan believes state action on this issue could prompt the Federal government to move at a quicker pace, saying that current federal efforts had “stalled in Washington, D.C.”
The Poker Players Alliance has not yet taken a stand on the bill, but PPA Executive Director John Pappas did say that the organization was “very intrigued” by the legislation. In a recent interview, however, Pappas said he didn’t know if New Jersey players would still be able on current poker sites if the bill became law.
Card Player called Lesniak’s New Jersey office last week for clarification on the bill. However, that call has not yet been returned.
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