Internet Gambling Bill Passes New Jersey Assembly

The New Jersey House of Assembly voted on Tuesday to approve regulated intrastate online gambling, moving the bill to the state's Senate in order to be voted on within the next few days.

The Assembly voted in favor of the intrastate gambling bill by a 48-25 margin. 3 politicians abstained their vote in the process.

The gambling bill would allow out-of-state players to play the games, as long as federal law allows. The bill also stipulates that the servers for the games must be housed at land based casinos in Atlantic City, the second largest gambling destination in the United States.

Speaking about the issue during the debate period, New Jersey Democrat Vincent Prieto said: “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. It’s a much-needed competitive step forward for our casinos that could also raise more revenue to benefit senior and disabled citizens.”

Fellow Democrat Ruben Ramos concurred, noting: “The Internet has long been a reality, and Internet gaming in New Jersey should now be reality too. 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.”

This is the second time in two years that representatives in the Garden State have voted to legalize online betting within its borders. An attempt last year made it all the way to Governor Chris Christie's desk, who put a veto into effect; tabling the bill for another year. It is currently unknown what the Governor will do if the bill comes in front of him again.