USA Online Gambling Regulation News Updates

PartyPoker Leads in New Jersey Online Gambling

New Jersey kicked off its online gambling on November 26; as of now, PartyPoker has taken the lead in the online gambling market. PartyPoker, and their partner, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, hold half of the poker market share as of now, which means that they are the favorite for the title of industry leader in New Jersey.

Brand recognition of both PartyPoker and Borgata has played a part in their success. Additionally, both launched active ad campaigns before the go-live date, telling players that they could very well be "New Jersey's Next Poker Millionaire."

Delaware Online Gambling

Delaware was the second state to legalize online gambling, even though it has not received as much hype as New Jersey, the third state. Nevertheless, state officials report that they are pleased with Delaware's progress. As of December 1st, approximately $3.8 million was bet on Delaware's online sites, and 2800 people have registered gaming accounts.

Of course, there have been bumps along the way: only 20% of VISA transactions have gone through and some residents were unable to play due to the online casinos' geolocation technology working a bit too well.

Still, State Lottery Director Vernon Kirk is pleased with Delaware's progress, "It seems encouraging, especially the ability to continually and steadily add new registrants, new depositors every day."

Online Betting Poses Competition to Atlantic City

While the launch of New Jersey's online gambling has been received by the public with great fanfare and enthusiasm, Atlantic City is concerned. Caesars Entertainment, the owner of four Atlantic City casinos, recently filed a report stating that online gambling could harm the company's profits.

However, a spokesman Caesars Entertainment said that the report was filed purely for legal reasons, and the management does not necessarily believe that.  

Steve Norton, a casino consultant and former vice president of Resorts Casino Hotel, stated that online gaming in New Jersey might "improve the bottom line profits of Atlantic City casinos, but may also reduce the need to visit a live casino."

Massachusetts Puts Online Gaming on the Back Burner

Stephen Crosby, head of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, stated last week that Massachusetts will be focusing on their land-based casino industry, and not an online gambling initiative. Massachusetts only approved land-based casinos two years ago, and the commission is still in the process of selecting operators to run these two approved casinos.