Gaming interests around the country are celebrating the legalization of online gambling in the states of New Jersey and Nevada. Back in February, Governor Brian Sandoval signed into law a bill legalizing online gambling in the state of Nevada. Only 5 days later, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey countered with his own version, known as e-gaming, which will also allow online gambling in the state of New Jersey.
For the first time, these two new gaming super-powers will be going head to head soliciting the national gambling market which will translate to big bucks for Nevada and New Jersey. Nevada law allows the state to make pacts with other states to provide online gaming services.
For most of the gaming industry the move was seen as a positive step forward that many feel should have been taken years ago. While the Federal Government is still making major efforts to shut down gambling on all fronts, some individual states see this move as an opportunity to boast their struggling economies.
Speculation abounds as to which state(s) will follow the leads of Nevada and New Jersey and jump on the online gambling bandwagon. Look for states such as Louisiana and Mississippi to be among the first to come around. In both states, as well as several others, the new tax revenue would generate much needed income.
The State of Nevada is already at work laying the groundwork for interstate online gambling is spite of the Fed’s continuing staunch opposition. Governor Sandoval and Nevada lawmakers are working together to subvert the Government by making individual deals for online gambling with other states. This would allow Nevada based web sites to take wagers from all around the country.
Originally it was Democrats like former Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts who proposed some form of legalized gambling via the internet years ago. But now it’s the Republicans, smelling the money, who are using the old conservative principle of “states rights” to promote an online gambling agenda in the USA.
While this appears on the surface to be looking for loopholes, it is actually a legitimate way to ignore the federal governments’ objections and proceed with the plan. Considering the amount of money on the table here in the form of tax revenues, it won’t be long before other states will be following Nevada and New Jersey into the brave new world of legalized online gambling.
