Casino patrons in Atlantic City may soon be able to place bets via hand-held gambling devices if New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signs a new bill into law.
The New Jersey Legislature approved a bill sponsored by Senator Jim Whelan last week that would enable casinos to offer electronic versions of games to be played on mobile devices within the casino resort. These devices would not work outside of the property.
“Casino gaming is the lifeblood of South Jersey’s economy and we have to be willing to adapt in order to survive,” Senator Whelan told the Associated Press. “Hand-held, mobile gaming devices have already been adopted in Las Vegas, and allow casinos the opportunity to extend the gaming floor to anywhere within their premises.
“By authorising New Jersey casinos to take advantage of this new technology, we’re putting Atlantic City’s casino industry on an even competitive field with our competitor to the west.”
Governor Christie has long been in favour of providing Atlantic City’s casinos with a greater competitive edge but has previously stopped short of permitting full-scale online gaming in the state.
