How Will The Elections Affect Online Gambling

[Luckylizzy]

The New Jersey bill S-490 is going to the Senate today. I'm crossing my fingers that it passes and if it does, it will be one US state taking the first plunge into legalized online gambling. Only thing is that it will only be for players in New Jersey.

[jetset]

Passed through the Senate on a 25 -9 vote and now on the way to the state House of Assembly.

[felicie]

The New Jersey bill S-490 is going to the Senate today. I'm crossing my fingers that it passes and if it does, it will be one US state taking the first plunge into legalized online gambling. Only thing is that it will only be for players in New Jersey.

Didn't it say whatever games are allowed in Jersey would be available for players globally also? Watch them be open to everyone in the world except the rest of the U.S. states. LOL

Jetset, I don't have any idea what your last paragraph about New York said. Could you dumb it down for me please? Thank you.

[jetset]

Yes, there is provision for gamblers outside the US to play on New Jersey's intra-state online gambling licensed site/s once established.

Regarding NY, I was simply pointing out that the federal authorities based in New York have been particularly active in recent times in prosecuting both cash processors and online sportsbetting rings - that indicates to me that there is a determined anti-online gambling enforcement policy at work.

That does not mean to say that the efforts of enforcement branches in other parts of the US, such as Florida and Kansas, have gone unnoticed.

[felicie]

Thank you jetset I get it now. I think it would be interesting to know the reasoning behind some states harder fight against online gambling besides the obvious ones I mean like Kentucky, Nevada etc. A big percentage of the general public might say morality is a good reason against it; I wonder why they don't just put it on the ballot like they did the Indian Casinos initiative in California.

[jetset]

I think the results of the sort of independent poll that you suggest would be extremely interesting and definitely informative, but I fear that the average politician prefers the present non-consultative, wheeler-dealer legislative environment and is unlikely to go for the concept.

In fact I doubt that many politicians really understand and have a decent working knowledge of internet gambling, judging by the sometimes generally uninformed comments that are made. And the mainstream media don't help much by understanding even less and perpetuating the political ignorance.

Why some states are tougher than others on internet gaming has, in my opinion, little to do with the issue of morality that politicians so often throw indiscriminately around.

Bearing in mind that states like Washington, Kentucky and in fact most states have lucrative land gambling facilities of almost every genre operating legally within their borders, my perception is that the main reason for antipathy is:

Protectionism

Many land gaming operators still see online gambling as a competitive threat, and they have influence with the politicians for several reasons, not excluding campaign and Party donations.

The current financial squeeze has made more states look at the revenue streams possible from legalised internet gambling, and hopefully that will enable more progress in the US toward a sensible and regulated market.

If more state and federal politicians had possessed the courage and determination currently being displayed in New Jersey the US internet wagering scene may look radically different to the legislative maze it is today.

[felicie]

I noticed in the N.Jersey article also that even though California and was it Florida I think, are the next in line to possibly open up online gambling, California has to hold to agreements with the indian casinos regarding games such as slots and would probably only open up for poker. It also said 'like the Frank gambling bill' which to me meant it too is only designed to cover poker. It sounds at this point that if slots are your game, New Jersey is the only state so far that's even considering them.