New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill on Tuesday making the US state the third to legalize Internet gambling and the first with a sizable population to do so.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, who sponsored the legislation, called it “a lifeline for the casino industry in Atlantic City, which has been in free fall.”
Mr. Christie had rejected a similar measure in 2011 but reversed his position in light of the challenges facing the ailing seaside resort, where combined gaming revenues began falling with the 2008-09 recession and have been falling ever since with increasing competition from neighboring states.
Nevada and Delaware are both expected to begin allowing forms of online gambling this year, and other states are considering proposals of their own, but New Jersey is of particular significance given its population of more than 9 million and the fact that the law allows the full gamut of casino games (Nevada is restricted to poker currently) and provides for interstate revenue-sharing agreements.
The law allows only Atlantic City casino companies to take online bets and specifies that servers must be located within the properties, but it’s expected the casinos will form partnerships with entities that operate overseas to provide or enhance their offerings..
