New Jersey Aims to Adopt Online Poker Regulations
Play Poker » New Jersey Aims to Adopt Online Poker Regulations
January 9, 2012
New Jersey is pushing for online poker regulations. Lobbying groups in the state are trying to get poker regulations passed before the end of the present legislative session. Sen. Raymond Lesniak was one of the supporters of online gambling initiatives taken last year. Lesniak stated that he doesn’t want Nevada to monopolize the market for online gambling. He plans to get a proposal for online gambling regulation passed as soon as possible.
Lesniak’s Proposal has to Pass through Senate and Assembly
The proposal for regulating online poker in New Jersey has to pass through the committees of the General Assembly Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation and the Senate. If the bill is successfully approved by these bodies, it will be placed before New Jersey houses on January 9th. It is the last voting day for the current legislative session.
If the bill is approved, it will provide an economic boost to the gaming industry of New Jersey. The industry has been experiencing significant losses over the past six years. About 10000 jobs were lost in that period. There has also been a decline in the revenue of the state.
New Jersey wants to become the Silicon Valley of Online Gambling
According to Lesniak, if the bill is passed, New Jersey will become the Silicon Valley of online gambling in the next few years. However, in case the bill has to be re-introduced in the new legislative session, lobbyists like Lesniak will lose the momentum which they have now.
The bill introduced by Lesniak was not approved last year as Chris Christie, the governor, brought up a few contradictions in it. According to the governor, the bill was not in line with the New Jersey constitution and federal regulations. However, it is expected that the modified bill and the DOJ’s recent stand on the Wire Act will change the governor’s mind.
Chris Christie specifically mentioned that the constitution of the state restricts gambling related activities from taking place within Atlantic City. Accordingly, the proposal has been modified by the lawmakers of New Jersey. The modified version of the proposal states that servers of gambling websites have to be based in Atlantic City.
Another state that has recently adopted regulations for online poker is Nevada. The regulations were passed by the gaming regulators of the state a few days before Christmas. This paved the way for Nevada-based gambling firms to apply for licenses to run poker sites.
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