Online casinos coming to New Jersey?
Quite possibly…if a recent New Jersey Senate vote is anything to go by.
On Monday the NJ Senate passed an online gambling bill that will make it legal for Atlantic City casinos to offer online casino games to residents by a landslide 29-5 vote. If the New Jersey State Assembly passes the bill and then Governor Chris Christie signs it in (kind of a formality) then it will be law.
Some, including the bill’s author Sen. Raymond Lesniak, say this may all happen before the end of the year. “It’s going to be presented to the governor and I don’t think he’s going to have any option but to sign it before the end of the year,” Lesniak said.
Under the proposed law, licensed Atlantic City casinos will be able to offer online casino games to New Jersey residents as well as residents of the rest of the world (other than any other US State).
That the games will be available to players outside the US (Europe in particular) will certainly irk the World Trade Organization and European Commission…a fact that Lesniak seems to be well aware of.
“We are going to be raising World Trade Organization issues by taking international gaming in New Jersey and showing how juvenile our federal government’s policy is with regards to gaming.”
But then when have US authorities worried about what the WTO or EC think?
well since the gambling law was passed in New Jersey, I am expecting them to cater more online casino sites. Great job NJ!
Hi danielle
Actually the law’s not passed yet. It has only passed a Senate vote. Still a couple of hurdles to go before we see the Atlantic City casinos getting their online games up and running.
cheers
LD