New Jersey legislature again approves online gambling law

The issue of online gambling legalisation is moving fast in New Jersey, with the state Senate emulating the Assembly in passing the latest Lesniak bill seeking to legalise the pastime in the Garden State.

After passing successfully through the Assembly on a 48 to 25 vote earlier this week the bill went to a full vote on the state Senate floor Thursday and passed in a resounding 33 to 3 vote.

Last year a similar bill was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie, and the ball is now back in his court, with the additional proviso in the act that he must make a decision within 45 days. Thus far the governor has given no indication of his intentions.

New Jersey is in a race with several states, including California, Delaware and Nevada, to be the first to offer intrastate online gambling products.

Just last week the federal solution to online gambling – an internet poker bill that specifically banned most other forms of online gambling – failed to progress through Congress to the frustration of senatorial authors Harry Reid and Jon Kyl…and possibly the American Gaming Association members who supported it.

Supporters of the latest New Jersey bill say that there is no reason for the Governor to veto the measure this time around; Sen.Lesniak has gone to some lengths to include amendments designed to address the governor’s original concerns, and academics have voiced opinions assuaging constitutional fears, provided the online servers are located in Atlantic City casinos .

The Casino Association of New Jersey is supportive of the latest online gambling bill, provided it is “….implemented in a lawful, appropriate, thoughtful and prudent fashion.”

“We believe that the legislation goes a long way towards fulfilling those objectives,”said the association’s president, Tony Rodio earlier this week.