Thanks to the Department of Justice changing their long-held opinion regarding online gambling in the United States, each individual state can decide their own online gambling destiny. Since that changed late last year, both Nevada and Delaware have passed legislation which allows online gambling for residents and visitors when located in those state boundaries. A recent interactive gaming bill just hit the Nevada legislative branch that, if passed, would allow for players in other states to enjoy online poker and other online gaming options offered by the Silver State.
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NJ Senate Says OK to Online Gambling – Governor Christie’s Turn Once Again
New Jersey online gambling proponents are holding their breath. In 2011 a legislative package which would legalize online casino gambling in New Jersey passed through the State Assembly by nearly a 6 to 1 margin. The Internet interactive gaming bill was then easily approved by the state Senate, and needed only to receive Governor Christie’s okay and signature to make the Garden State the first US state at that time to legalize an online gambling package. It didn’t happen.
NJ Assembly Says Yes to Online Gambling Bill
Just last year the New Jersey State Assembly okayed an online gaming legislation package by a nearly 6 to 1 margin. The assembly approved passage with a vote of 63 to 11, but that was still not enough to convince Governor Christie that online gambling was right for his state. He vetoed that legislation, and pro-internet gambling lawmakers were forced back to the drawing board. A revised package recently made its way to the Assembly, and on Monday, December 17, that online gaming bill received an early holiday present when it was okayed by a vote of 48 for, 25 against and 3 uncommitted votes.
Nevada Brick-and-Mortar Casinos Apply for Virtual Poker Licenses
During this wonderful holiday season, Americans generally take a moment to reflect on the past year and count their blessings. Online poker players in Nevada, as well as travelers to The Silver State, can be thankful that Nevada was the first state to pass online poker legislation in the United States this year. Delaware is the only other state to follow up on the United States Department of Justice allowance that each individual state choose their online poker destiny, but it appears Nevada is the clear front runner to officially shuffle up and deal online with the legal blessing of the United States government. Currently 12 operators have been approved for online interactive gaming licenses in Nevada, but the list of applicants continues to grow.
Lame-Duck Session in Congress Good or Bad for Online Poker
Is the possible passage of gambling laws in the United States more favorable or less favorable now that Congress is in a lame-duck session? With the inability of Congress to agree on just about anything, it is hard to envision any situation that would guarantee a clear-cut legislative victory which would allow Internet gambling in the United States. But whether you voted for him or not, Obama’s reelection actually speaks volumes for the possibilities of getting some nationwide gambling laws passed before Congress reconvenes in 2013, possibly in 2012.
Casino Players Position Themselves for $10 Billion US Gambling Market
Gambling industry analysts expect the United States online gambling marketplace to reach $10 billion in annual sales as early as 2017. That estimate comes in spite of the fact that no state in the US has yet to actually offer any form of legalized online gambling since the Department of Justice changed their stance on the legalities of gambling online. Nevada and Delaware have each legalized online poker and a full slate of online gambling offerings respectively since that the DOJ flip-flop, but both states are still in the approval and licensing process currently. But that has not stopped major US casino operations from rushing to understand and fully embrace Internet gaming.
Northern Nevada Future Bigwig of US Online Casino Games
Sometime in the next couple of months, the Reno based software developer 3G Studios will debut their online poker site. They recently launched their SlotALot.com online slots room, and just became the first video game company to apply for an online poker license in the United States. And until Nevada works out all the kinks in their online poker infrastructure, the up-and-coming software and video game developer will have to be happy with allowing players to gamble with free tokens. But that is still an incredibly lucrative undertaking, as virtual gambling with fake money or tokens created $2.4 billion in 2011.
Proposed US Online Gambling Bill Specifics Revealed Publicly
As reported by the Las Vegas Review Journal (LVRJ) online this week, the details of a proposed national online gaming and gambling bill are now a matter of public record. While the bill has been tweaked and reworked on several occasions to garner more support, this is the first time that bill specifics have been released. LVRJ reporter Steve Tetreault first revealed the release of the bill’s outlines on the 14th, and recently updated the information on Monday, 17 September. Several key senators have attempted to reshape online wagering by legalizing poker over the Internet but outlawing most other forms of Internet gambling. That is the summation of the details that were “leaked” to the World Wide Web in the four-page document that spell out important details of the current bill.
Online Gambling Crushed Hollywood Receipts in 2011
Online poker and other forms of gambling were illegal in the United States in 2011. Similar laws were in force in multiple European and Asian countries around the world as well, yet Hollywood movies are promoted, shipped to, and viewed in every corner of the globe. And yet even so, Hollywood barely matched a mere 20% of the amount of income created by online wagering and gambling in 2011 in South America alone. Hollywood movies grossed a little under $26 billion worldwide in 2011, but online gaming in poker rooms, casinos, bingo halls and sportsbooks in just South America totaled more than $124 billion.
Nevada Game Developer Betting on Internet Gambling Jackpot
With Delaware and Nevada both now preparing to offer online poker legally for the first time in the United States, companies are lining up to try to get a piece of the billion-dollar online gambling pie. 3G Studios is one such game developer based in Reno, Nevada and they are betting heavily that online gambling will be more than a passing fancy in the United States and abroad. They are a privately held company who recently hired more than 75 contractors in China and India, and stateside they have 47 US employees.