This Nov. 26, 2013 photo shows Jon Hernandez of Roselle Park N.J. playing a game of Internet poker from his home on the day after it became legal in New Jersey. On Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, New Jersey lawmakers held a hearing to consider extending authorization for the state’s highly successful online gambling industry for another decade, through 2033. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Mindful that its thriving internet gambling market is one of the brightest spots in New Jersey’s uneven gambling landscape, the state’s lawmakers are moving to extend authorization for online bets for another 10 years.
A state Assembly committee held a hearing Thursday to consider extending the law authorizing internet gambling through 2033, and advanced the measure to the next step in the legislative process. It still requires additional rounds of approval before going to Gov. Phil Murphy for his signature.
“Internet gaming has proven to be an integral part of gaming in New Jersey,” said Assemblyman Don Guardian, a former mayor of Atlantic City. “It’s one of the reasons we still have casinos in New Jersey.”
Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, a former Atlantic City casino executive, noted that online gambling provided a crucial revenue stream for the casinos while they were closed for 3 1/2 months in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. Even when the casinos reopened later that year, some customers were wary of coming to a casino in person and opted to gamble online.
Internet gambling “kept those casinos (afloat) through a very difficult time,” Caputo said.
Most of the major online gambling companies, including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Bally’s support the bill.
New Jersey launched internet casino games in Nov. 2013, and since then its casinos have won $4.79 billion from gamblers online. That’s nearly twice the $2.47 billion Pennsylvania casinos have won online since July 2019.
Other states with online gambling include Michigan ($2 billion since Jan. 2021); Connecticut ($199.7 million since Oct. 2021); West Virginia ($137.4 million since July 2020); and Delaware ($42.2 million since Dec. 2013). Nevada offers online poker but does not break out that revenue separately from the in-person revenue casinos report to […]
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