A bill to legalize online sports betting in the state of New Jersey passed committee vote on Monday and is now going to be debated in the NJ Senate.  A date for the debate is to still be determined.

Ray Lesniak, D-Union, authored the bill. 

New Jersey currently offers wagering on horse races to state residents through the 4NJbets.com Web site. The state would expand the law to permit Internet versions of games currently allowed in Atlantic City casinos, such as Poker, Blackjack and Baccarat. The intra-state Internet gambling system would be regulated by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, which would establish a Division of Internet Wagering to oversee operations and licensing.

"We're happy that New Jersey has taken this issue into their own hands," said iMEGA chairman Joe Brennan Jr. "New Jersey is recognized as having the toughest gaming regulators in the US, but as a leading gaming state with a long track record of doing things the right way, Internet gambling will have a great home here and the opportunity to begin normalizing the industry."

Though iMEGA supports efforts in Washington DC, especially by Rep. Barney Frank (D) in the House and Sen. Robert Menendez (D) in the Senate, to create a Federal path to regulation, the association worked with New Jersey legislators on the bill to ensure continued progress toward regulated Internet gambling in the US.

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher