California’s Lawmakers May Allow Online Gambling
Ten states are considering new laws which would increased licensed and regulated gambling inside their jurisdictions. These ten states are considering either writing new laws to make online gambling legal, or expanding their current laws to make it easier to game legally on the Internet.
At present, only three states allow online gambling: Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware. Besides New Jersey’s lawmakers considering a new expansion of their current system, lawmakers in the states of Colorado, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Illinois will consider Internet gambling bills.
Increasing Interest in Online Betting
Not all of these states are likely to approve, but the interest level is increasing year-by-year. 2013 saw 10 states consider the same prospect, and that was a record number at the time. As the federal government signals a new willingness to allow electronic gaming take place, more states seem willing to try their hand at legalized gaming on computers and mobile devices.
State governments always need more revenue. Once others began to blaze a trail, it was only a matter of time before states looking to find new revenue sources would explore the option. The increase in lottery gaming over the last three decades shows how the practice spread.
Hawaii is an interesting inclusion on the list. Like the people of Utah, Hawaiians traditionally have preferred a strict ban on all gaming. Hawaiian laws once stated they wanted to ban all gambling to maintain the “morals” of the state. To have the politicians in such a state even consider the prospect of licensed gaming is a stark indication of the prevailing mood in the nation.
Gambling Less Popular than Pot in New Jersey
Not all of the news for the pro-gaming industry is positive. In fact, the state which has received the most press for championing online gambling is showing a decline in approval for gaming on the Internet.
A recent poll of New Jersey’s voters showed more of the electorate favors legalizing marijuana than legalizing online gambling. The poll is interesting, because New Jersey made online gambling legal back in November.
Both activities come with a certain social stigma, but politicians in the Garden State seized the initiative in the wake of a 2011 Justice Department ruling which opened the door for licensed Interent gaming. The difference in the two issues can be attributed to the state treasury. While the government of New Jersey could reap a major windfall in regulating and taxing Internet gambling, the bottom line of regulating and taxing pot sales is more nebulous.
Support for Online Gaming at 32%
The survey, conducted by Professor Krista Jenkins of Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind, quizzed 734 different respondents on their attitude towards legalized marijuana and online gambling. Of the respondents, only 32% supported licensed online gambling, which was down from 41% a year ago at this time. 60% of those polled believed pot should be decriminalized, while 86% believed medical marijuana should be made available for legal purchases. The sixty percent response was up 20% from a study done in 1972.
Despite the decline in favor for online gambling, people are voting for legal gaming in other ways. Since gamblers could sign up to play for real money in November 2013, over 150,000 people have signed up for gaming accounts. When asked to explain the slump in popularity for gaming, Krista Jenkins suggested that it can be attributed to the aggressive marketing done by some of the new online casinos. She believes these ad campaigns have alienated some voters.
Bally’s Atlantic City Casino Fined
Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City was fined $17,500 for letting a pair of teenagers drink in their establishment last summer. On August 21, 2013, an 18 year old and a 17 year old were served 3 alcoholic beverages apiece from the Bally’s bar. Staff never asked to see identification for either of the underage drinkers.
An our later, the 17 year old was found intoxicated on the casino floor, prompting staff to call an ambulance. It’s illegal to serve alcohol to minors or allow underage people to gamble at New Jersey casinos, so the New Jersey Gaming Enforcement Division assessed the fine in late January 2014. Bally’s did not release a statement on the fine, though a spokesman did say that the amount of the fine was agreed upon by both parties.
