- The initial draft of the rules is expected to be finished Thursday.
- Gambling expert I. Nelson Rose thinks internet gambling could be operational in New Jersey before the end of the year.
New Jersey’s gaming regulators could reveal preliminary standards for online gaming as early as this week.
The initial draft of the rules is expected to be finished Thursday, encouraging predictions of Internet poker by the end of the year.
“I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t be up and operating by the end of this year,” I. Nelson Rose, a leading gambling expert told The Star-Ledger.
Quick on the heels of a fast-tracked Nevada law that allowed for interstate compacts without a federal OK, New Jersey legalized online gambling last week, calling for Internet wagering to start within nine months.
Ever since a federal Internet poker bill failed last year, the two states have seemingly been in a rush to become the hub of online gaming.
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval told constituents: “I intend to see to it that our state will lead the world into this new frontier.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has made a public 180-degree turn on the issue in less than two years, said: “I am confident that we are offering a responsible yet exciting option that will make Atlantic City more competitive while also bringing financial benefits to New Jersey as a whole.”
Delaware also has legalized online gambling and could start taking bets by September 30.
While several of Nevada’s brick and mortar casinos have received operator licenses for online poker, none have yet to go live with real money games.
Last month, the state’s gaming officials granted some companies up to six months longer to test their software.
Like in Nevada, licenses in New Jersey would be limited only to casinos already in operation, specifically the 12 in Atlantic City.
The interstate compacts could help the three states with current online gaming laws expand player pools for poker.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, PokerStars has a deal to purchase the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.
PokerStars attorney Jeff Ifrah told The Star Ledger that the revenue from online gaming could help plug state budget shortfalls. That boon to the economy could be even greater for the state that serves as the center of Internet poker.