New Jersey Introduces Internet Gaming Bill
A newly proposed law in New Jersey could allow the state’s licensed casinos in Atlantic City to offer Internet gambling to residents within state lines. New Jersey House Bill 2570, introduced into the state senate by Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak this month, would enable New Jersey residents to place wagers on casino games, including poker, via the Internet.
“We’re happy that New Jersey has taken this issue into their own hands,” said iMEGA chairman Joe Brennan Jr. “New Jersey is recognized as having the toughest gaming regulators in the US, 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.”
The bill states that Atlantic City casinos must apply for a permit to establish Internet wagering, with the permit valid for one year and subject to renewal. The annual fee for an Internet wagering permit is expected to be at least $200,000, with the renewal fee to be at least $100,000, to cover the costs of regulation by the commission and the division.
Once in place, gambling regulations will be implemented for the conduct of Internet wagering that will be consistent with the regulations of the governing casino. Those regulations will include age restrictions, credit and debit procedures, game corruption checks, and features to assist problem gamblers and potential problem gamblers.
New Jersey took the first step toward legalizing online gaming in the United States in January. Sen. Lesniak introduced a bill which called for New Jersey residents to vote on a constitutional amendment that would permit state-regulated sports wagering in Atlantic City casinos, and to state residents via an intra-state Internet gambling system.
Should New Jersey succeed in becoming the first state to approve intrastate online gambling, it is expected that some states will follow suit. Iowa, Florida and California have all been considering legislation as a means of straightening out state deficits. New Jersey is currently facing the worst deficit in the nation, but experts believe the state could earn hundreds of millions of dollars per year by regulating sports betting and online gaming.
The matter of when the legislation will pass remains up for debate. Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas told CardPlayer magazine, “I think it’d be difficult for states to enact intrastate regulation by the end of this year. It is our goal to have something passed at the federal level this year. I think it’ll be a race to see who gets there first.”
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) remains focused on pioneering a federal solution on Capitol Hill. Frank recently added a 66th co-sponsor, Rep. Charles A. Wilson from Ohio’s Sixth Congressional District, as he prepares to go into the markup phase for the proposed for House Bill 2267. Frank has until June 1st to work out the details of the legislation in order for the bill to be passed.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for updates on poker legislation news from New Jersey and the rest of the country.
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Poker terminology:
- RING GAME - A standard game where players can come and go as they choose. The opposite of TOURNAMENT.
- REPRESENT - Implying, by one's betting style, that one has a particular hand.
- STUCK - Down a nontrivial amount of money, as in "he's stuck $800".
- ANTE - A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt. Not all games have an ante. Related terms: BLIND, FORCED BET.
- STAKE - The amount of a player's BUY-IN, or the amount of money they are willing to play with in a given session. Compare: BANKROLL.
- ROYAL FLUSH - An ace-high straight flush, the best possible hand in regular poker.
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