New Jersey gaming regulators have set November 23 as the first day of Garden State regulated online gambling.
Though no official announcement has come from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), the news is being reported by multiple, reliable gambling news sources such as PokerNewsDaily and Gambling911.com. Most sites are reporting that the November 23 date is firm in the mind of the DGE, but could be pushed back if circumstances change.
If Atlantic City casinos can actually hit the late November, pre-holiday target, the whole state of New Jersey will have pulled off a spectacular administrative and legal feat. Remember, Governor Chris Christie only signed the online casino gaming bill into law on February 26.
New Jersey’s rush to the Web comes courtesy of a desperate need to bring revenue into those struggling Atlantic City casinos.
Behind the scenes, however, credit should be given to people like DGE Director Dave Rebuck who has been instrumental in keeping this massive effort on track. His office has been extremely proactive and open-minded about igaming while working under a pretty tight deadline.
With the legal niceties out of the way, the ball is now squarely in the court of the 12 Atlantic City Casinos that are allowed to offer full online casino gaming to their customers. (So far 10 of these casinos have partnered up with operators and are gearing up for the pre-holiday launch.)
New Jersey’s bold run at the online market has left some industry sources questioning the speed at which Nevada’s online poker efforts are moving. So far, the Silver State has only one live online poker site (Ultimate Gaming), though several others have received regulatory approval.
For now, NJ is moving fast and furious in the newly legalized US market.