Press of Atlantic City – Get ready, get set — click. Internet wagering is coming next month to home computers and portable electronic devices in what represents a new era of gambling for New Jersey.
The state Division of Gaming Enforcement announced Friday that Internet gambling will launch on Nov. 26 following a test period for the Atlantic City casinos and their Web partners.
There will be a five-day trial period of “soft play” starting Nov. 21 to test the system in a live environment. Soft play would be restricted to invited patrons only. Full-fledged Internet gambling would begin at 9 a.m. on Nov. 26 if there are no problems during the test.
Internet wagering on slots and table games represents the biggest expansion of gambling in Atlantic City since the casino era began in 1978. New Jersey joins Nevada and Delaware as the only states so far to legalize online gambling.
Gamblers will be able to use their home computers, smartphones and other electronic devices to play online, as long as they are within New Jersey’s borders. Players will set up accounts with the casinos or their Web partners to gamble.
The Division of Gaming Enforcement said safeguards are built into the digital system to restrict play within New Jersey and prevent children or banned gamblers from playing online. For instance, pass codes and other security features will be set up to block children from accessing their parents’ or another adult’s online accounts.
In another key safeguard, New Jersey will automatically extend its list of “self-excluded” gamblers to the betting websites. Currently, compulsive gamblers may voluntarily ban themselves from casinos by signing up for an exclusion list.
New Jersey’s foray into Internet gambling has attracted some of the biggest names of online wagering in Europe. They have formed partnerships with the Atlantic City casinos to capitalize on the emerging Internet gambling market in the United States.
