This month has been a disappointing one for United States online poker players, as hopes of getting internet poker legalized and regulated on a federal level during the lame duck session disappeared. On the bright side (or not, depending on one’s perspective), individual state measures continue to push forward. One such measure is in New Jersey, where the state Assembly passed bill A2578 Monday by a vote of 48-25-3.
A2578 would create a regulatory structure in which all forms of gambling, including poker, that are offered at Atlantic City casinos would be legal to be offered online. All equipment, including servers, would be required to be located within a secure area of an Atlantic City casino and all players must be located within New Jersey borders. The bill does leave open the possibility of players from out of state hopping onto the virtual tables, but only if that does not violate both federal law and the law of the state in which the players are located.
Online poker enthusiasts, whether they be professional or recreational players, have long felt that the laws (both federal and state) and the attitudes of many brick-and-mortar casino operators needed to get with the times. Online poker exists and is just as valid as its live sibling. It should have the same legal standing. Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hudson) appears to feel the same way, saying in a press release, “The Internet has long been a reality, and Internet gaming in New Jersey should now be reality too,” adding, “We have to move aggressively and thoughtfully to position our gaming industry to succeed, and this is another step toward that goal. It will mean economic growth and job creation for our state.”
Fellow Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen) agreed, saying, “Most everything else has migrated to the Internet and taken advantage of the consumer and revenue options it offers, and New Jersey’s gaming industry should be no different.”
“This is a carefully crafted bill designed to ensure Internet gaming on casino games is offered the right way.”
A similar bill made it all the way to Governor Chris Christie’s desk last year, but was vetoed. The Governor looked like he changed his mind in January, though, after the U.S. Department of Justice said that the Wire Act of 1961 only outlawed online sports betting, not poker. Said Christie:
Folks should know I favor it, I want to do it. I vetoed the last bill because I felt that it would open up the opportunity for there to be internet gambling houses all over the State of New Jersey. I don’t think that’s what anybody wants. But, I think being able to have this be an Atlantic City centric thing is something that makes sense to me. And given the Justice Department’s go ahead for people to be able to do it, I think we should go ahead and move on it. But, we have to do it in a responsible way and it should be Atlantic City centric.
The next step is for the bill to move on to the Senate for consideration. State Senator Raymond Lesniak (D – Union) introduced Senate Bill 1565, a bill similar to A2578, and saw it pass through a Senate committee earlier this year. To his dismay, though, a total Senate vote was delayed until the fall and then that never even happened. Lesniak blamed Governor Christie’s political ambitions for the delay, as he was a possible running mate for Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the time and Lesniak believed he did not want to support online gambling and risk alienating powerful forces in the party.
