Congressmen from the state of New Jersey have sent a letter to the US Department of Justice, asking that the current legal status of online gambling in the nation is kept. Under a 2011 memo issued by the Justice Department, Internet gaming is not prohibited at a federal level and it is up to each individual state to determine whether this type of service is legal or not within its borders.
Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, their House of Representatives colleagues Frank LoBiondo, Tom MacArthur, and Leonard Lance, and other politicians sent a letter on Thursday to the DoJ, asking it to maintain its current stance in relation to the provision of online gaming services across the nation.
The letter came in a response to a November letter by Senators Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein, both long-time Internet gambling opponents. The two Senators asked the Justice Department to refer the matter to the Congress where it would be determined whether a federal ban on online gambling should be imposed.
Senators Graham and Feinstein reasoned their negative stance on Internet gaming with the quick spread of gambling this type of service provides. According to them, online gambling could bring about a fundamental change in America’s gambling industry, as people can gamble all day and every day of the week.
Safe and Responsible Provision of Online Gambling
While online gambling opponents fear that online gambling could have detrimental impact on society, the above-mentioned New Jersey lawmakers have argued that their home state has turned into a good example that Internet gaming services can be provided in a safe and responsible manner.
The New Jersey delegation wrote in its letter to the DoJ that prohibiting online gambling at a federal level would be an “antiquated approach to a 21st century issue”. The Congressmen further noted that a measure of this type would punish New Jersey and other states that have operational iGaming sectors, and have invested millions of dollars to create a safe gambling environment for players. At the same time, a federal ban on online gambling would allow black market operators to thrive, while putting Americans at risk, the letter from the New Jersey lawmakers further read.
Online gambling is currently legal in four US states – Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, which joined the party last fall and is yet to develop its online gaming market.
In New Jersey, revenue from online gambling has been seen as an important ingredient for the revitalization of Atlantic City’s casino industry. The gaming hub is recovering from terrific three years during which it lost five of its 12 casinos. In 2017, Atlantic City’s gambling venues generated $245 million in revenue from online gaming operations, up almost a quarter from the previous year.
