New Jersey passes iGaming legislation

In America, the New Jersey Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation yesterday afternoon that could see the eastern state become the first to offer legal online gambling to its residents.

Known as S490 and sponsored by State Senators Raymond Lesniak and Joseph Kyrillos, the proposed legislation sailed through the Assembly on Monday by a vote of 63 in favour with eleven against and three abstentions. The NJ Senate then passed the bill by an even more emphatic 34 votes to two.

The legislation must now be signed by Governor Chris Christie, who has yet to declare his position on the bill, but could also become law if the first-term Republican allows 45 days to elapse without taking action.

The legislation will see residents of New Jersey able to wager online via portals hosted on servers based exclusively in Atlantic City although those living outside of the state will be blocked. These domains are to be run by land-based casinos operating in the state with operators required to pay $200,000 for an initial one-year renewable licence with this fee dropping to $100,000 for subsequent years.

“This is a historic day for New Jersey,” read a statement issued by Anthony Singer, President and Chief Executive Officer for High 5 Games.

“With the state legislature's decision to legalise Internet gaming, New Jersey now becomes the centre of the US iGaming industry.

“We are optimistic that Governor Chris Christie will sign this important piece of legislation into law to revive the state's gaming industry. This law will allow our state's gaming industry to thrive, creating more jobs and much needed tax revenue for the people of New Jersey.

“Now that Internet gaming is just one signature away from becoming the law of the land, it is important to remember that the New Jersey gaming industry has a long and respected history of ensuring that every single company that provides services to Atlantic City casinos is of the utmost integrity. That's why all casino content providers are licensed and regulated by the state through the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.

“With this new law, it is obvious that many international and offshore companies will be looking to see how they can get involved in the first explicitly legal iGaming environment in the US. While it is important to maintain an open marketplace through collaboration, we anticipate that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the New Jersey Casino Control Commission will continue to enforce existing state regulations to ‘assure the public trust and confidence in the credibility and integrity of the casino industry and casino operations’ as its mission dictates.”

Joe Brennan Jr, Chairman of the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) said, “Congratulations to New Jersey’s legislators on their overwhelming vote in favor of the Intra-State Internet Gambling bill. It’s clear that New Jersey’s representatives want their state to be at the forefront of the online gaming industry, both in the US and globally.

“With the combination of the top regulators in gaming, great information technology infrastructure, a highly-educated workforce, and the strong foundation and leadership of the Atlantic City casino industry, New Jersey is certain to lead this industry’s growth in the US, while creating high-paying, skilled jobs in the technology sector and also attracting investment to the state.”