April 26, 2010 (CAP Newswire) – New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak has shown himself to be perhaps the most media-savvy of the current crop of lawmakers hoping to regulate online gambling in the United States. The senator recently launched a Facebook page designed to drum up support for the legalization and regulation of online gaming in that East Coast state.
There may be no real legislative power in such an action, but it does serve to build support in the Senator’s jurisdiction for the fight to regulate online gambling and Internet poker (something that’s more at the forefront in New Jersey than in many other states). Lesniak is the biggest mover and shaker in New Jersey in the online gambling drive, having authored previous legislation to legalize the practice earlier this year.
“Show your support for i-gaming,” the Facebook page states. “Invite your friends to play Play poker, make sports picks and more. See the latest news, learn about upcoming events and stay in touch with with others who Play the Game.”
Similar efforts have been logged by online gambling advocacy groups like the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), but this move by the New Jersey senator is noteworthy for illustrating a willingness of elected officials to leverage social media towards the goal of legalizing online gambling, as well. (The senator is a state politician, and the page seems directed at local online gambling efforts, but the cumulative effect of such support could certainly help to contribute to the overthrowing of the UIGEA.)
A staunch Democrat, Lesniak isn’t some upstart legislator; he has served in the New Jersey political arena since the 1970s. Check out his Facebook page here.