Legalized Online Gambling in the United States moved closer to reality when the New Jersey State Senate passed a bill that would allow citizens of the state to partake in internet gambling. Like the proposed legislation in California, only residents of New Jersey are allowed to gamble on the Atlantic City websites. The bill also permits residents of other countries to gamble on the state-sponsored casinos.
The proposed mandate has a few more hurdles to jump through before it becomes a law. Standing before it are the New Jersey State Assembly and Governor Chris Christie. Christie is the first Republican to win a statewide election in 12 years. The bill’s author, Senator Raymond Lesniak, appears to be optimistic though.
“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.
The legislation does contain some solid selling points, including 15% tax on gaming revenue that will bolster the state’s coffers. The bill also mandates that Internet operators must obtain licenses through Atlantic City casino operators and that all equipment must be located in Atlantic City. Internet Gambling hardware can either be located in an actual AC Casino or an area that has been deemed “secure.”
Senator Lesniak admits that the legislation may draw the ire of the Federal Government. For more than 5 years the United States has been duking it out in front of the World Trade Organization with Antigua and Barbuda. The tiny twin-island nation contends the USA discriminates against gambling operators not located in the United States. The WTO has ruled in favor of Antigua and Barbuda, but the Federal Government refuses to comply.
“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,” Lesniak said. “It makes no sense, we’re trying to isolate and segregate something people want to do, they do everywhere, and we create a mass of restrictions that’s unconstitutional and quite frankly just dumb in terms of governmental policy.”