Bill Aims to Expand Live Poker Facilities in New Jersey

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 07/18/2020

Jerry Smith Staff Writer See Full Bio

Jerry’s greatest advantage is his extensive experience on the casino floor. His time as a casino manager taught him everything about what makes a player tick. Besides being a skilled poker player, he has deep knowledge of all live table games and gambling regulations in the US.

Twitter X

People Playing Poker

A new bill has been filed in New Jersey that could result in live poker facilities in the state being expanded. The bill, which is A4365, was filed last week by Republican Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, and it could mean that racetracks in the state can start offering live poker facilities.

At present, only casinos in Atlantic City are allowed to offer live poker rooms. However, if the bill is passed, the casinos may no longer be able to monopolize live poker in the state, as racetracks will also be able to offer the facilities.

Poker Is a Game of Skill

Under the current law, live poker rooms are restricted to the eight casinos that are located in Atlantic City. However, the bill states that poker is a game of skill and not gambling, so it should not be restricted by current laws. The bill states:

The legislature finds and declares that the card game ‘poker’ is a game of skill and bluff and, therefore, is not a form of gambling that is restricted by the provisions of the New Jersey Constitution.

There are two racetracks in New Jersey, both of which have only recently reopened after being forced to shut because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Both of the racetracks do offer sports betting facilities, but neither are currently allowed to offer poker rooms as yet.

Like other businesses across the state, the two racetracks experienced huge financial losses as a result of the closures. Many hope that the passing of this bill could allow them to claw back some of that lost revenue.

However, there is a lot of doubt over the bill being passed, and even if it is, poker rooms may have to remain closed for the foreseeable future due to social distancing restrictions.

The close proximity involved between players has hampered the return of live poker rooms at the state’s casinos. If racetracks are allowed to operate live poker gaming, there could still be a long wait before games can start to be held.

Online Poker Offerings Not Included

The bill that has been put forward by Dancer states that the Division of Gaming Enforcement will have jurisdiction over poker activities that take place at racetracks in the state. This includes establishing relevant rules and regulations, dealing with licensing and permits, and putting standards into place.

It was also confirmed that racetracks in New Jersey would not be able to go as far as casinos with their offerings, as they would not be able to offer online poker gaming. This is offered by casinos and provides them with a large amount of revenue.

This is not the first time that Dancer has filed this type of bill, and he introduced similar legislation for racetracks to offer poker rooms back in 2016. However, according to reports, his bills did not get past the committee hearings with previous attempts.

The two racetracks in New Jersey are the Meadowlands Racetrack and Monmouth Park, both of which only reopened recently after the COVID-19 closures.