New Jersey Introduces Internet Gaming Bill

A newly proposed law in New Jersey could allow the state’s licensed casinos in Atlantic City to offer internet gambling to residents within state lines. New Jersey Assembly Bill 2570, introduced into by Assemblyman John Burzichelli, would enable New Jersey residents to place wagers on casino games, including poker, via the Internet.

“We’re happy that New Jersey has taken this issue into their own hands,” said Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) chairman Joe Brennan Jr. “New Jersey is recognized as having the toughest gaming regulators in the US, but as a leading gaming state with a long track record of doing things the right way, Internet gambling will have a great home here and the opportunity to begin normalizing the industry.”

The bill states that Atlantic City casinos must apply for a permit to establish internet wagering, with the permit valid for one year and subject to renewal. The annual fee for an internet wagering permit is expected to be at least $200,000, with the renewal fee to be at least $100,000 to cover the costs of regulation by the commission and the division.

Once in place, gambling regulations will be implemented for the conduct of internet wagering that will be consistent with the regulations of the governing casino. Those regulations will include age restrictions, credit and debit procedures, game corruption checks, and features to assist problem gamblers.

New Jersey took the first step toward legalizing online gaming in the United States in January. Then, Lesniak introduced a bill that called for New Jersey residents to vote on a constitutional amendment that would permit state-regulated sports wagering in Atlantic City casinos and to state residents via an intra-state internet gambling system.

Should New Jersey succeed in becoming the first state to approve intrastate online gambling, it is expected that other states will follow suit. Iowa, Florida, and California have all been considering legislation as a means of straightening out state deficits. New Jersey is currently facing the worst deficit in the nation, but experts believe the state could earn hundreds of millions of dollars per year by regulating sports betting and online gaming.

The matter of when the legislation will pass remains up for debate. Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas told CardPlayer magazine, “I think it’d be difficult for states to enact intrastate regulation by the end of this year. It is our goal to have something passed at the federal level this year. I think it’ll be a race to see who gets there first.”

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) remains focused on pioneering a federal solution on Capitol Hill. Frank recently added a 66th co-sponsor, Representative Charles A. Wilson from Ohio’s Sixth Congressional District, as he prepares to go into the markup phase for the proposed for HR 2267. Frank has until June 1st to work out the details of the legislation in order for the bill to be passed.

Il futuro del Poker Online gioco d'azzardo negli Stati Uniti

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Online Poker Operator Comes Forward In Kentucky Gambling Case

The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled against the online gambling domain owners in the Kentucky forfeiture case due to the fact that none of the owners of the domains had come forward to represent themselves. Now, one of the online poker operators has come forward to represent themselves in this on-going domain dispute. Yatahay Limited is the operator of True Poker, an online poker room. The domain TruePoker.com is on the list of 141 domains that the state of Kentucky is attempting to seize. The Supreme Court did not rule on the case and they gave a three week window for any gambling roperator to join the online gambling domain dispute.

Since a poker operator has come forward, the case will return to the Supreme Court and the Justices will finally resolve this issue without all of the political maneuvering being done by the state government of Kentucky. “We’ve overcome the technicalities that gave the Commonwealth their short-lived victory,” iMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan said in a written statement. “The court can now make a decision based on Kentucky law.” The next decision is whether the Supreme Court will accept Yatahay Limited as an owner of one of the domains. If they aren’t accepted, it would be reasonable to assume that other operators will come forward. The wording of the Supreme Court verdict gives indications that the verdict will likely favor the domain owners once they’ve met all of the technical requirements that have been put in place by the Supreme Court.

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New Hampshire Governor Considers Legalizing Internet Gambling

With the state budget stretched and deficits building, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch is looking for ways to provide a much needed revenue injection for the Granite State. One way avenue he is considering, according to The Nashua Telegraph, is legalizing internet gambling, including online poker.

“The governor is working on developing a comprehensive strategy to address the revenue shortfall,” spokesman Colin Manning told the Telegraph. “There are a number of options the governor is looking at.”

Lynch expects to unveil his internet gambling plan within the week and, to this point, no details about it are known. One would assume that a tax would have to be paid by any company that offers online gambling, but even that is pure speculation right now.

Interestingly, the state’s House is currently debating a bill that would permit up to 17,000 slot machines and table games at licensed locations throughout New Hampshire. Lynch has come out in opposition to the bill, which has already passed through the Senate, because it does nothing to halt the proliferation of gambling.

Supporters of the bill are, perhaps understandably, confused as to how Lynch could be concerned with the proliferation of gambling, yet want to make online gambling legal. Former State Senator Bob Clegg said, “The governor is worried about proliferation of gaming, but it sounds like he’s going to make every computer terminal in every home and every BlackBerry — including those BlackBerrys held by kids in high school — a gambling facility.”

It should be noted that Clegg is currently serving as a lobbyist for a golf club that is looking to build a casino and resort in Hudson. He also says that his Hudson facility would create 3,800 jobs, far more than legalized online gambling would create.

State Senator Lou D’Allesandro agrees with Clegg, saying, “I haven’t seen his proposal, but if the governor is afraid of proliferation, what easier way to proliferate it than online gambling. Anytime you get something online, you run the risk of who’s playing, what it involves, the extent of play. We’ve had so many problems with things online.”

New Hampshire would not be the first state to consider legalizing online gambling should Lynch’s plan make any progress. In March, New Jersey Assemblyman John Burzichelli introduced Assembly Bill 2570, which would allow New Jersey casinos to offer internet gambling to the state’s residents. The casinos would have to acquire a license to do so and would be required to adhere to strict regulations. The California and Florida state governments are also considering internet gambling legislation.

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Mixing Drinking And Gambling Rarely A Good Idea

When it comes to perceived vices, drinking and gambling are usually right up there with swearing and prostitution.

But for casino regulars, mixing booze and bets can be a mixed bag.

Many of those who frequent traditional table games say that drinking alcohol clouds judgment to the point of leading to bad decisions that can extend and amplify the house’s edge. (This is why casinos give out drinks for free.)

At the poker table, save for professionals such as Scotty Nguyen - who has developed a reputation for playing while drinking - most players agree, noting that drunkenness at the table inhibits your ability to read opponents, thus negating a powerful and critical part of the game.

In my experiences at casinos, I’ve seen in-game drunkenness work both ways.

This past weekend, for instance, while wagering on March Madness in Las Vegas, I met a man at the blackjack table who was so drunk that he couldn’t place his chips in the betting circle without assistance. (The pit boss chased him off so the guy didn’t end up puking on someone.)

Another guy insisted he became an infinitely better blackjack player when he was drunk, chalking it up to something about the booze tempering his inhibitions to bet big.

Sure enough, the drunker he got, the more he wagered - and won.

In Bay Area cardrooms, most of my observations surrounding players who mix booze and bets have come at the poker table.

One time, a gentleman announced his arrival at the table with a simple, “Folks, I’m wasted.” He proceeded to play blind, without looking at his cards, and push all-in on three consecutive hands. He lost the first two with trash hands to players with smaller stacks.

On the third hand, he got called by the biggest stack at the table, a guy who was practically salivating at the chance to take the drunk’s chips. The big stack flipped over pocket kings - a great hand for the situation. The drinker turned over an ace-nine and won the pot when an ace came on the turn.

During another epic poker session, a different fellow sat for hours at the table without playing a hand. Over the course of 20 cycles around the table, the guy polished off eight or nine beers. Finally, on the button, he decided to play, re-raising two raisers with an all-in.

The drunk eventually lost the hand to a player with ace-king. His hand: 9-6. Later the inebriated guy admitted that he misread the hand, thinking he had a pair of nines.

He blamed his screw-up on the beer.

The lesson here is to be smart. If you choose to drink and gamble, don’t do either to excess.

And if you’re playing against a drunk, remember that Lady Luck rarely discriminates between the sober and the intoxicated, and she might just decide to work against you when you need her most.

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