We have some good news for poker players in New Jersey today. A New Jersey Senate Committee passed an internet gaming bill with an 11-0 vote on Tuesday. Earlier this year in Iowa a Senate subcommittee passed an online poker bill, but the bill didn’t make it through the Iowa House and was dismissed. New Jersey is a completely different story than Iowa, however, and I think the internet gaming bill in New Jersey will have enough support to be passed.
Sports betting has been put on the backburner in New Jersey, but online poker could be legalized soon. The internet gaming bill in New Jersey would allow for regulated casino games to be played online including poker. The bill still has to be passed through the full Senate and Assembly although that may not take long. Reports have stated the bill could be passed as soon as next month, which would give the state plenty of time to accept license applications and get things rolling.
One point that I want to address is that the online gaming bill will allow operators that are licensed in New Jersey to accept bets from other states or countries. As long as the state or country has a regulated online poker market the bill would allow poker sites the ability to market outside of the state. New Jersey wants to become one of the world leaders in terms of online gaming, but according to Governor Christie the state wants to take their time and make sure there are no loose ends.
If the online gaming bill is passed New Jersey residents may be able to play poker by the end of the summer. There won’t be any concerns over liquidity issues because of the fact the player pool doesn’t have to be segregated. If New Jersey poker rooms were able to market in regulated countries around the world the state could earn a lot of revenue. We’ll make sure we update everyone once we hear more news about the NJ online gaming bill and whether or not it gets passed.
Full Tilt Poker News
Rumours have been circulating that Full Tilt Poker may be reopening soon. A Full Tilt subsidiary (Orinic Limited) has applied for a category 2 license with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. Full Tilt is also hiring urgent support workers right now and that has led many people to believe that Full Tilt may be making a comeback sooner rather than later. It’s still just a rumour, but it would be nice if a deal was finalized and players could start receiving at least a portion of what they’re owed.
