New Jersey Dreams of becoming the First to Offer Online Poker
New Jersey aims to be the first and the biggest online poker state in the US. The race to be the first state to legalize online poker is on and many states want to receive the first rank. New Jersey however, is the one big on becoming the Silicone Valley of Internet Gambling.
Earlier this month, a New Jersey Senate committee approved a bill authorizing online gambling. This move is the first of many but it is still not known if the state has a shot in becoming the first state to legalize online poker.
Nevada is the one expected to be the first, quite obviously as they are pretty formidable when it comes to anything related to gambling be it online or not. Therefore, Nevada is New Jersey’s biggest foe and Nevada isn’t lulling regarding the online poker race. They are moving rapidly toward the goal and industry insiders think that they should be up and running by the end of the year.
The speed is due to the fact that Nevada didn’t run into any hurdles and big corporations like Ceasars unlike New Jersey and they are already in the licensing process. There is already another big plus in the gambling state as there is a possibility that poker refugees would take camp in Nevada, thanks to the real estate crash of 2008, housing prices in that state are dirt cheap and they don’t have state income tax. The number of people wanting to move is rising and it may help boost up Nevada’s poker application.
The efforts brought by New Jersey’s push for online gambling and sports betting aren’t only for themselves but for Atlantic City as well, to shore up its weak revenues. However, it is not known how big intrastate online poker could be when poker is already legal in Atlantic City.
The weakened city is because of nearby state Pennsylvania which had siphoned on much of their business. Pennsylvania has also the possibility to offer their own version of online gaming; they have already given offers for online wagering for horse races and have always been gaming friendly in the past. Money may move toward the opposite direction New Jersey had expected because of this.
Maybe it’s true that revenues would rise in New Jersey because of online poker, it’s possible and can be reached. However, the state’s dreams to become the Silicone Valley of iGaming seem far-fetched. When you come to think of it, this is the same state that had struggled in terms of land based gaming and while it’s true that they can earn something out of online poker, the first and the best one seem unlikely. New Jersey has nothing to lose and a lot to gain; it’s definitely worth it to keep the fight going. Who knows?
Source: Casino Affiliate Programs
