From Courier Post
Casinos will win with new gambling revenue. New Jersey will win with new tax revenue. Consumers will win with a new entertainment
option that they can play from the comfort of a coffee shop or their own sofa.
Everybody, it seems, is guaranteed to win. Except Atlantic City itself.
New Jersey is rolling out legalized Internet gambling, betting that it will help casinos fend off fierce competition from neighboring states, bolster the state’s tax revenue and be a powerful economic engine once again.
It is a chance, casinos say, for New Jersey to remain on the cutting edge of the gambling industry by taking advantage of technology that businesses from banks to retailers rolled out long ago.
Looming over the transition, however, is whether casino customers will find Internet gaming so appealing that they decide to skip the lengthy drive to Atlantic City and simply stay home, leaving the city no better off than it was before.
That scenario, while possible, isn’t likely, one expert said, particularly if casinos can convince occasional gamblers who find them online to visit their properties.
“The extent to which this behavior online will translate to people saying, ‘I like playing at XYZ’s website, I have so many points for meals and drinks,’ it can be a positive,” said Patrali Chatterjee, associate professor of marketing at Montclair State University, who has studied the potential impact of Internet gambling. “That’s the big challenge that casinos face: to what extent can they make the transition from bricks-and-mortar to online seamless?”
Gov. Chris Christie in February signed a bill legalizing Internet gambling, allowing New Jersey residents 21 and older to play casino games online. Gamblers first would need to visit a casino to register. And only casinos with licenses in New Jersey — those that already have properties here — could offer online gambling.
