Atlantic City bettors may be able to place bets from the comfort of the buffet line. In its current form Assembly Bill 2575 allows casinos to provide mobile versions of, “authorized games” to customers within certain parts of the hotel, including the swimming pool.
The bill is sponsored by Democrat Assemblymen, John Burzichelli and Ruben Ramos in the hopes of boosting sagging Atlantic City gaming revenues. AC’s casinos have been hit hard by competition from newly opened casinos in nearby Pennsylvania.
iGaming Silicon Valley
It’s not particularly surprising to see New Jersey politicians pursuing this type of bill. The state has been a hotbed of gaming legislation over the past year or so. Garden State politicians have made no secret of their desire to be seen as, “The Silicon Valley of iGaming.”
To that end, state officials have been aggressively pushing towards intrastate poker and are, slowly, working towards the goal of legal sports betting in AC. (When, or if, that will ever happen is very much up in the air.)
Get the back story on Jersey Gaming, check out: New Jersey Races to Win Online Poker Race.
Atlantic City Hit Hard
Of course there’s more to the mobile game bill than just staying on the cutting edge. Atlantic City casinos have been doing everything they can to stay a step ahead of other East Coast gaming operations. The struggling seaside gambling oasis have reported falling earnings for five years straight.
“In order to remain attractive to visitors and competitive with neighboring states, it’s important that Atlantic City keep up with the latest innovations and trends,” Burzichelli told reporters recently.
“With all of the increasing attractions in Atlantic City, this is a great way to appease everyone,” added Ramos.
Moving Forward
Now that the bill’s been approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, it must still be approved by the State House and Senate. Should those bodies sign off, the bill is then sent to Governor Chris Christie for final approval.
Do you think mobile gaming in Atlantic City will take off? Let us know in our Gambling Laws and Regulations Forum.