Online Casinos Win Landslide New Jersey Legislative Vote

Published on January 15th, 2011, by Paul Runyon

Ray Lesniak is carrying the New Jersey online gambling battle forward.

Last week a bill proposing to allow intrastate online gambling, to be operated by Atlantic City’s licensed casinos, swept through the New Jersey legislature with overwhelming victories in both houses. Now, state gaming figures wait to see whether Governor Chris Christie will oppose the bill, sign it, or accept it as a law he cannot block.

The bill, authored by state Senator Ray Lesniak, allows anyone inside New Jersey borders to open an account at a casino and play gambling games online. A last-second modification prevents the casinos from accepting customers outside US territory, as Lesniak explained that complications from national disputes with the World Trade Organization over US treaty violations would make taking international customers problematic.

Lesniak’s measure passed the state House by a 63 to 11 vote, and waltzed through the Senate by a 34 to 2 count. While Christie has the option to veto the law, the numbers indicate such a veto may be easily overturned. Political analysts are unsure if Christie wants a public defeat so soon into his term.

“The bill is good for the state, it’s good for jobs and it’s good for revenue,” said William Pascrell of the Princeton Public Affairs Group to an assembly of gaming representatives.

New Jersey lawmakers have been searching desperately for ways to end the downwardly spiraling income from state casinos. Proliferation of slots and other casino games in nearby states has left Atlantic City hoping for new ways to attract customers.

“This vote is a positive step by creating a licensed and regulated online gambling environment with appropriate consumer protections for New Jersey residents, a much better approach than the failed attempts led by the federal government to prohibit the activity. New Jersey will also be poised to capture new, much-needed revenue from the activity,” said Michael Waxman of the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative in a press release.