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Posts Tagged ‘New Jersey’

Northeastern States Changing Gaming Laws

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Though New Jersey legislators are making moves, they could have some competition when it comes to bringing gambling laws into their markets. Now it is Maryland and Maine both that are makign moves towards solidifying their market shares in the northeastern area. Both states are new to gaming and by no means are experts; still this isn’t necessarily a negative thing. They are toying with various rules to see what works for them. The fact that they have premiere gaming could be the first step in becoming gaming centers in their area of the US. Maine of course was debating Oxford County’s petition for a casino. It was the recent recession that changes it all when people opted to vote a casino to be built. A casino was approved for building. This was a huge change because prior to the official vote, the sides were pretty evenly divided. Maryland too has its own gambling initiative going. The state of course has been working iwth Anne Arundel County for some time now to bring a casino to the mall. This would be a huge facility and would introduce a good amount of competition to the area as a whole. This could change the face of gambling in the northeast.

So who is going to win? That depends on what the fickle gaming public are looking for. Since all the states involved are advanced, they know what good casinos should offer. They have a great handle on what needs to happen in terms of gaming floors, promotions, deals, specials, etc. They have strong gaming companies that are able to help them put together the right plans for opening facilities if they don’t have they yet, and to develop facilities if they are already built. This could pose a problem for New Jersey– not tha the state already hasn’t seen its share of issues. The state’s numbers have been down for a long time now– since the recession actually and they are showing no signs of a quick turnaround. No one knows how the competition will sort itslef out or where gamers are going to show the most loyalty. That has yet to be seen.

New Jersey May Be First with Gambling Law

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

There were debates on what US state would be the first to come up with adequate online gambling laws. Many were pining for the position, but it looks like New Jersey may be the forerunner and winner. The state recently announced that it is bringing changes to the internet gambling market. Part of the reason is the flailing Atlantic City gambling market. Atlantic City has been suffering for some time now and there are no signs of revival coming soon according to the numbers. Recently the casino had to do mass layoffs—twice. They let go of thousands of workers both times. The problem is that neighboring states are opening their own premiere gambling facilities and that is creating serious competition for the gambling Mecca. Add to that the rise in online gambling and gamers have a wider range of options than they ever had. Plus some of the other options are much newer and showcasing bigger and better games and promotions. In response, Atlantic City has been creating its own new promotions, but they don’t seem to be as effective as once hoped. Now the state is stepping in.

New Jersey officials are defining a new law in a way so that it will not be defying any current US laws on a federal level. They know that it is a tricky subject to create gambling laws right now when the UIGEA is still in effect. Nothing has changed it, though there have been various legislators how are trying. The issue may be shelved for another two years if changes aren’t made soon. This is leaving states on their own when it comes to writing online gambling law and New Jersey is taking the initiative with the issue. They are hoping that the allowance of online gambling will help to bring in the old revenue numbers post-recession. If they can bring in the same money, or even more, this would make the market that much easier to turn around fully. Remember that New Jersey is still suffering in terms of finances. They want Atlantic City to be a success again, or if not they want some other revenue stream to replace its old income levels—even if only temporarily.

New Jersey Legislators Approve Gaming Bill

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Online gambling in the US is moving forward. There was a question for a long time that gambling would not be allowed in the online market within the states. There are still sides drawn up against each other on the issue. On one hand there are legislators who are concerned about budgetary shortfalls and the deficit. The recent recession did not leave the country in a positive financial state. In fact, there are still a lot of problems to overcome in the market. This is why some legislators believe that with the added money from tax revenue dollars thanks to gambling online being legalized, the country could overcome shortfalls that much quicker. On the other hand though is a group of legislators with equally as convincing an argument. They believe that legalizing online gambling would do little to help the country protect itself. Though they acknowledge that there would be added funds to work with, a portion of those funds could have to be allocated for fixing problems gambling creates. For example, a city with online gambling legalized could bring in $20 million per month in added revenue however, if that initiative creates thirty-thousand new gambling addicts, where would they go for treatment? The city would have to allocate a portion of that $20 million to helping expand its gambling addiction centers and making them more accessible to everyone in trouble.

New Jersey though is a state that is opting towards online gambling’s legalization. Legislators recently approved a bill that would allow for bringing online betting rooms to the citizens of the state. Though the UIGEA is still in effect, it is up to individual states as to what they want to do with gambling and how they want to manage it. New Jersey of course is struggling with its Atlantic City location having drastically diminished numbers since the recession. Legislators are hoping if they open the door to improving the online market, they can bring in the revenues they are losing from the problems with Atlantic City revenues. Only time will tell what is going to happen and if this online gambling initiative is going to go through as planned, but hopefully the state will have some way of reviving its own flailing casino market.

Northeastern States Expand Gambling

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Atlantic City may have more problems on its hands coming in the next few months. It is no secret that since the recession the New Jersey gambling hot spot has not gained back the momentum it had pre-recession. People stopped wagering all over the world when the financial state of the economy was at its worst. This was logical and experts predicted that they would not return to the gaming tables until some clear signs of a revival of the market were seen. Slowly people did start to see change and very slowly they began wagering again, but not in the same numbers they were before. Another repercussion of the recession too was that people were no longer interested in high-dollar wagering. Most people resigned themselves to paying the low pay or free play games that a casino offered. In New Jersey though, things were even worse. No one returned to Atlantic City once the recession was declared officially “over.” The city of gambling remained untouched in a lot of ways. Casino operators tried creating new specials and promotions to bring gamers in, but so far nothing has worked to restore it to its former days of glory. In fact, the city has already had to cut jobs in mass numbers twice. If things don’t turn around soon, they could have to do it again.

Now Atlantic City officials are worried about the expansion of gambling in other states. New York is the latest state to push for an increase in wagering. The state sees how lucrative gambling is and wants to capitalize on the numbers soon. It is the Stockbridge-Munsee tribal community that wants to bring their own version of casino gambling near the state and if the deal is approved, it would change the area market completely. So far they already have the approval of Governor Patterson but are awaiting federal approval to move forward with the deal. If they are allowed to build a new casino, Atlantic City may have some stiff competition. A new casino is never good news for existing casinos and it could give New Jersey a run for its money.

New Jersey Senators Lesniak Wants Online Gaming

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

New Jersey is a state that has long been feeling the brunt of serious declines in revenue. Atlantic City is an area that once was huge in the world of gambling. It was second to Las Vegas alone in offering the best games, deals, entertainment and overall vacation excellence in the country. Then the recession came into play. It seemed like the recession is what eventually brought down the gambling center from its pinnacle of success. And nothing seems to be reviving it, though gambling operators are trying. They are creating even bigger deals and specials, but the market continues to dwindle. Now legislators in the state are getting involved. State senator Ray Lesniak is taking the lead in turning things around. He is pushing for Bill S490 to go through. This is a bill that would allow online gambling to be legalized and regulated throughout the state. His main concern is to use gambling as a means of bringing in huge dollars needed to revive the state’s economy. There was a time when Atlantic City did that, but now it is showing no signs of revival.

No one can debate the huge growth of the online market. Lesniak knows that despite the state’s land based decline in gaming, online gambling is nowhere near the same diminishing state. In fact, online gambling is skyrocketing in popularity with gamers everywhere. No one can debate the ease of wagering online due to its convenience and overall ease. All you have to do is have a secure internet connection and a computer and you can wager to your heart’s content. Lesniak is trying to take advantage of this for the state and is pushing hard for Bill S490 to be accepted. If it does work out, this will be the first state that passes online gambling law for international and domestic gamblers. All money brought in will be used to fuel the economy and turn it around. It is estimated that if this bill is passed it will create over 13,000 new jobs for locals and bring in $1 billion within the first year of operations.

More US States Look to Legalize Online Gambling

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

The question of legalizing online gambling is a big one in the US. Now there are many legislators who are seriously considering making the changes necessary to allow online gambling into their markets. They know that gambling is a $3 billion business right now and experts are projecting that number will more than double in the coming four years. By 2014, gaming should be well worth $7 billion and upwards. This means that any state involved with a legalized gaming plan will be able to benefit in the form of huge tax revenue dollars. Companies already know how lucrative the market is and that is why they are putting millions into developing new games and new promotions for gamers to enjoy. Now states understand that if they can build viable gambling plans, they can take advantage of the huge tax revenue dollars available. It is a time when states cannot turn down the money either—they know that post recession the market has been difficult and there are few other options beyond gambling that can bring in the millions of dollars needed to turn their economies around. It is a sign of how popular gambling is, and legislators are trying to harness that power and use it to fund their state budgets.

In the world of gambling and the US, so far New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut are all embarking on some for on online gambling plans. They want to open that door and hope to bring in huge dollars. In particular New Jersey is interested in creating a good plan due to the failures of Atlantic City. The gambling Mecca has failed in the past few months to return to its former days of glory—in fact it has diminished considerably over the past year. Now the area is in danger of being eliminated altogether unless it finds some way of bringing in patrons again. This is why New Jersey legislators are pushing so hard for some gambling online to replace the lost revenues from the land based casinos of Atlantic City. Only time will tell what is going to happen, but legislators are determined to harness the power of the internet and the popularity of gaming to bring in the money needed for a true change.

Atlantic City Facing Stiff Competition

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

New Jersey has suffered a huge blow with the decline in popularity of Atlantic City. Though it once was a gambling center that rivaled Las Vegas, now it is diminishing in revenue quickly. It seems that since the recession, the area has been on the decline and nothing is changing that. Despite casinos operators promotions and advertising efforts, people are not returning to Atlantic City for their wagering needs. Part of the problem is the growing problem of neighboring competition. It is no secret that neighboring states have their own gambling plans in development. They are building state of the art land based gaming centers that are cutting down on the need to travel to Atlantic City for gambling. There was a time when Atlantic City was the only land based gaming center in the northeastern portion of the country. That is no longer the case. There are plenty of land based casinos now in neighboring states that have had the opportunity to build themselves up on the latest in technology. They have new games that are on the cusp of what technological advances are in the market. People are opting for these casinos rather than going to Atlantic City.

Add to the problems of Atlantic City the issue of online gambling. More and more gamers are choosing first to go online to wager. They know that if they wager online they have access to the same benefits and specials as they would in a land based casino. The difference though is that they can wager from the comfort of their own homes. They know that they can win just as much but cut out the travel time, the inconvenience of waiting in lines, finding parking spaces, etc. This is no longer a concern for today’s gambler. They can log into their laptop or desktop and find the same games, but a bigger selection, than they would at a land based casino. These are the two main problems that Atlantic City has to deal with and the city operators are at a standstill in what to do. So far they are meeting together to try to spur business, but things aren’t looking good.

New Jersey Playing with Online Gaming Rules

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

New Jersey is a state that is pro gambling for the most part. The state’s legislators have long been pushing for the casino industry to turn things around. Part of the problem is that Atlantic City has been suffering since the recession. In fact, its numbers have been so far diminished that it is having a hard time regrouping. The market of the former gambling hub of the northeast is fading fast. Just look at casinos in the area. Many have made headlines with layoffs and more layoffs are imminent so say the casino operators. They know that though they are creating promotions to turn things around, it isn’t working. New Jersey legislators are pushing for some changes because they know that gambling is no longer a strong money maker like it once was—in fact, it is causing more people to the unemployment lines. Legislators and casino operators are looking for solutions.

One of the big solutions the market is coming up with is bringing online casino gambling into the area. The world of online gambling is growing exponentially in other locations, so New Jersey lawmakers are hoping that if they allow online versions of their casinos, it will help to return the state to former days of gambling glory. Right now legislators are pushing for blackjack, poker and baccarat to be translated to the online market. These are three of the most popular games and each one offers a strategy. Unlike games of sheer luck, these games offer hours of honing strategy. This is a sure fire way to bring gamers in. If the initiative to bring in online gambling is enough to help generate revenues, then expect more games to be brought to the virtual market. The state’s finances are low and presenting a lot of problems with budgets and deficits. The state has a twenty-percent interest in gambling and expanding to the online market will only bring in more cash revenue dollars. This is a huge draw for a state that has yet to return to its old revenue generating activities. It is offering hope to legislators. They want to turn things around proactively and are hoping that online gambling will do it.

New Jersey Holding Forum on Gambling

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Many states are in the midst of debating out gambling. Legislators are fully aware of the billions of tax revenue dollars that are available through gambling and want to capitalize on it. Part of the push is the struggling financial state most states are in. Since the recession, states have had to manage budgets that are down farther than they have been in history. The recession left huge deficits and financial distress for people to deal with and that includes state legislators. Though they have debated various solutions to the problems, there are few options other than gambling that would consistently bring in the millions needed to turn things around. Gambling is a market that is not only wildly lucrative, but also growing exponentially. Because of that, legislators believe that it is the most viable option for bringing in the money needed to sustain public works programs, expansion, education, road construction and other initiatives.

New Jersey is a state that is now debating gambling, but rather than taking the issue to congress, the state’s legislators are holding meetings to make changes. These meetings are a forum to debate the pros and cons of gambling and how to effectively implement gambling into the market if it is legalized. This is a major concern for many anti-gambling believers. They are concerned about the implementation of gambling and believe that legislators are not ready to handle the issues legalizing gambling would bring. For example, one main problem is addictions. They believe that if gambling is legalized it would inevitably bring an increase in the number of addicts in communities. The questions are: Do legislators have enough addiction resources for addicts? Can the current facilities handle the added problems and people who will need help? Do casinos advertise enough help for those who think that they may be in need of future addiction services? These are just some of the concerns that are going to be addressed at the forum New Jersey is holding and hopefully tangible answers will be found. Without them, the state could be entering into more trouble if it decides to legalize gambling. The proper regulatory system is a primary focus.

Four Added to Pennsylvania’s Casino Exclusion List

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Shoumin Chai and three others were added recently to Pennsylvania’s state exclusion list.  This list permanently bars Chai, 56, of New York City, from all Pennsylvania casinos.  Unlike the state’s self-exclusion list, this list is designed to allow the state to ban people who are long term offenders, “career or professional offenders”, those who have allegedly committed crimes in Pennsylvania casinos.  Chai has been accused of tricking patrons and casino goers at the Sands Casino Resort, in Bethlehem, PA into lettering her fain access to their ATM accounts.  The three other new additions to the state’s exclusion list, conducted a similar scam in a Pittsburgh-area casino.

Richard McGarvey, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says, ”Their photos will be distributed at every casino.  If any of them is caught entering a casino, they will be arrested.” Allegedly over a period of thirteen hours, Shoumin Chai stole approximately $10,000 from patrons at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem.  She would trick the patrons into allowing her access into their ATM accounts.  After a patron later noticed a discrepancy in his bank account, Sands casino officials were able to bring up images of Chai on surveillance cameras and a Sands employee recognized her as someone barred from New Jersey casinos for similar scams. 

Chai initially pled guilty to three ATM scams at Sands, but withdrew her guilty plea two weeks ago after Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli requested that she be sentenced to 53 years in prison due to her extensive criminal record.  She is currently awaiting trial under a $200,000 bail. Also added to the exclusion list were Kerry Laverde, Patrick Loushil, and Andre Nestor, who in October 2009 were charged with exploiting a software glitch in software machines where they were able to make the machine “pay out at their will”.  This occurred at Meadows Casino, outside of Pittsburgh, PA.  The three were able to collect in two months more than $400,000 in winnings that should not have come from the machines. Each new addition to the state exclusion list was given a chance to appeal the ban but none responded to the state’s petition.  As such, they were immediately added to the ban. If Morganelli, the Northampton County District Attorney, gets his way, Chai’s ban will be irrelevant. Morganelli states that Chai, a native of China who arrived in the U.S. in 1989, should have been deported several years ago because she has at least 13 felony convictions in New Jersey. Morganelli states, ”She should be deported, but not until she spends a long, long time in prison.”