The New Jersey state Assembly Tourism and Gaming Committee is hoping to send a message to Congress urging it not to pass a federal ban on online gambling, which is already established in the state.
The committee has approved a resolution from Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo—who represents Atlantic City—saying such a ban would damage the state’s casino industry and infringe on its state’s rights.
“A federal prohibition against internet gaming would directly and negatively impact New Jersey by dismantling the investments that the state and Atlantic City casinos have already made to implement and regulate Internet gaming, taking away the economic and employment opportunities already realized by the state and its residents, and foreclosing the future potential of internet gaming to generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue, create high-tech software jobs, and foster valuable business ventures for Atlantic City casinos in this State,” the measure reads.
“Internet gaming has begun to yield benefits for our state’s economy, over $80 million has been wagered, and that’s generating sorely needed tax revenue that’s serving as a stimulus for Atlantic City at this critical time,” said Mazzeo in a statement. “We know internet gambling hasn’t reached its full potential and a federal prohibition against Internet gaming would directly and negatively impact Atlantic City. In particular, it would dismantle the investments that we’ve already made and it would eliminate the potential for New Jersey to become a national hub that would generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue.”
The measure opposes the “Restoration of America’s Wire Act” bill now before both houses of Congress. The bill has been strongly backed by Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Sands Corp. in Las Vegas, who has been personally backing an effort to ban online gaming in the U.S.
The resolution now goes before the full Assembly.
