New Jersey Passes Online Poker Bill

[Terminal Frost]

Today, New Jersey became the first state to pass a bill licensing and regulating online poker. It will permit Internet wagering for New Jersey residents.

It's now in the hands of Gov. Christie. The bill allows online poker, casino games and other forms of gambling. New Jersey residents could only play poker with other people in the state.

Looks like NJ players may no longer be able to play at sites like PS and FTP.

It's going to be a rough ride the next few years. It's obvious yet again, that greed and not the wants of their constituents is the only thing that matters both at the state level and the federal level.

The only thing that can be hoped is that eventually the patchwork quilt of states that will pass these laws will lead slowly to allowing online poker everywhere.

[Assistanc3]

THIS is the start of the downfall to poker in America
if you limit the playing pool to the individual state how long before the the fish have been skinned and gutted before there is no fish left? American government is not doing any good service for poker players around the world or in the USA.

[scrawnybob]

+1

I agree

what the govt / states dont seem to understand is NJ / Atlantic City attracts alot of out of state action visiting and coming to Atlantic City

(incidently Atlantic City is down massively on bricks and mortar gaming)

effectively they are drawing in fish from out of state as well catering for their own home state punters

what the online bills are going to do IF they all on a "home state only" basis is reduce the potential player base right down - as assistanc3 said this would spell the end of online poker as we knew it and as we currently put up with it

US poker would in all probability survive if if was to just exclude non US players (not even sure that is actually legal under international law but that doesnt seem to bother the US afiaks) ... it would survive in the same way that non US sites have managed without the US

However if they break it down this much it wont and I dont think Nevada / Vegas and NJ / Atlantic City casinos have really thought this out for themselves ... they are backing a horse that might look like they can sew things up for themselves but where would Vegas be without out of towners ?????

I got the impression Vegas / Nevada wants the whole closed shop thing but to have interstate gaming

Ive said it before the US govt need to face up to the rest of the world having a right to exist and compete

they need to regulate and tax based on a UK style light touch that way they wont kill the goose that could have laid the golden egg

some of something for along time is alot better than all of not a lot for not very long IMHO

cheers scrawnybob

[Dan Abnormal]

Feels like the walls are slowly caving in. Guess I better start using my funds I have on sites or the government will make the decision for me.

[Peteyweestro]

Yep it gets worse every time we hear something it seems, hell it was better off with the damn UIGEA or whatever the hell it is called

[Terminal Frost]

Not really petey, it's the UIGEA that started all the problems. When it passed, neteller stopped serving US players, and it didn't go into full effect until this June and now deposits and w/d are even harder.

The UIGEA (or as I like to call it, the cowards law) needs to be repealed, but it won't be.

[Dan Abnormal]

I had this awful dream the other night ( i knew it was a dream casue I won money) but I was playing a big money torunament and finished 2nd place and won like $20,000 and I left the money over night in my account and the next morning they declared that all online sites were illegal, and when I tried to cash out, I was told no dice its illegal to send money to the states

I WOKE UP IN A SWEAT

[Peteyweestro]

That sounds more like a fricken nightmare to me Dan, but i think it won't be very much longer till they shut down all the online gambling in any form while they then start that blackout period. When it does hppen i know i will be back at the track betting on my nags again, funny it's ok to bet at the track, off track and even online as long as its horses but casinos and poker are off limits, too sad

[Terminal Frost]

Oh but you can gamble online if its horse racing, state lotteries, or fantasy sports. Those all got exceptions in the UIGEA.

So don't buy the conservatives' argument that it's to 'SAVE THE CHILDREN' or that gambling is bad and it's their job to protect us. It's all bs.

[Assistanc3]

Oh but you can gamble online if its horse racing, state lotteries, or fantasy sports. Those all got exceptions in the UIGEA.

Don't forget stocks, which is ironic as the American government told everyone to invest in the market (401k) then comes 2008 where American wealth lost $11 trillion dollars..