New Jersey online gambling bill stalled until autumn?

The well-connected industry observer and iMEGA exec, Joe Brennan, opined in an interview with the poker information portal PocketFives over the weekend that New Jersey’s attempt to legalise online gambling is likely to be delayed until the northern hemisphere fall.

Brennan cited the legislative summer recess, along with a heavy workload of more urgent budget legislation as the main reasons for the likely delay. There are also apparently tax issues that need to be resolved, and political caution on the part of the state governor, Chris Christie, with a presidential election looming.

Christie vetoed a legalisation bill in 2011 despite its support by the full state legislature, and has been accused of being ambivalent on internet gambling, although supportive of sports betting in New Jersey .

That said, the thinking on the bill is still positive, Brennan opined.

Bill A2578 was progressed by the state Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee last (June) month but has apparently made little progress since then, despite the threat of New Jersey being overtaken by Delaware, and Nevada’s continued steady progress on the legalisation of online poker.

PocketFives comments that New York took in $1 billion more than New Jersey in gambling income in 2010, positioning that state ahead of New Jersey and third nationwide in gambling revenues after Nevada and California.

During his exclusive PocketFives interview, Brennan commented that Pennsylvania will probably attempt an online gambling legalisation initiative.