Gambling 911 – New Jersey’s fledgling Internet gambling industry saw its first monthly decline, falling slightly to $11.4 million in April. In March, which had one more day of gambling than April had, Internet gambling brought in $11.9 million. Figures released Wednesday by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement show the average online take per day was $380,958 in April, down from $383,173 in March. Online gambling had shown monthly increases of 28 percent in January, 9 percent in February, and 15 percent in March. It began in late November as a way of helping the struggling casinos bring in new revenue…

Washington Post – Politicians supporting Sheldon Adelson’s proposed online gambling ban claim to want to protect the poor and children and to prevent crime. But if they truly cared about these issues rather than getting in Mr. Adelson’s good graces, they would reject such a ban. A ban on a good or service for which there is demand simply pushes people into the black market, creating a host of unintended consequences that make consumers less safe. Dozens of other countries have had legal online gambling for decades with few negative consequences. And there are many technological methods for verifying a…

Several years ago, a work colleague instructed me to use the phrase ‘gaming’, and not internet gambling when discussing our organization’s work on federal gambling policy.  She believed that term better reflected the breadth of the issue and, to a certain extent, minimized the negative connotations associated with “gambling.”  Twelve years later, I’m not sure that works anymore. First of all, if I began this column discussing “gaming” issues, you might think I’m referring to introverted teenagers hiding from the sun in front of their Xbox consoles. Second, it doesn’t really matter whether “gambling” has a negative or positive connotation….

Online Poker Report – A critical report released today on the future of Pennsylvania’s gambling industry should give proponents of regulated online gambling cause for optimism. The report – entitled “The Current Condition and Future Viability of Casino Gaming in Pennsylvania” – was presented this morning to Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. Pennsylvania lawmakers mandated the creation of the report, produced by Econsult Solutions, back in December 2013. So what exactly about the report augurs well for regulated online poker and casino coming to the Keystone State? After surveying industry experts, casino owners, existing research and comparable markets to…

ABC 27 – First came slot machines. Then came table games. The Lottery was then expanded. Small games of chance were recently permitted in bars and restaurants. Gambling is a growth industry in Pennsylvania in recent years and the next big thing could be web wagering. Online gaming would let players sit in the comfort of their home, or on their mobile devices, and gamble. No trip to a store, bar or casino would be necessary to place a bet. State Representative Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster) says online gaming is likely headed for the Keystone State. It’s just a question of…

Courier Journal – Corporate leaders from Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc. talked about the new over-sized video board at its namesake track and other issues facing the company in a Thursday conference call with investors and analysts to discuss the company’s $700,000 first-quarter loss. …An analyst asked when Churchill would begin to see returns on its investments for an Internet gambling platform for games like online poker. “We believe that over time the Internet gaming market in the U.S. will develop into a significant opportunity for us and for others as well, of course,” Evans said. “We plan to be a…

Poker News – As one Mississippi casino closes due to lack of revenue, the state finally is going to study the prospects of online gaming. But is it a set up? The study may end up being a fair and unbiased take on the affect iGaming could have on Mississippi. However, it isn’t being conducted in the usual manner — and that’s concerning. State Rep. Richard Bennett, the Republican chairman of the Mississippi House Gaming Committee who requested the study, has made it clear that he is against passing online gaming legislation. Rather than name legislators to the task force…

Poker News – The Coalition for Consumer and Online Protection completed its initial three-week, $250,000 media campaign to fight against a federal ban on Internet gambling, spending the money on advertisements that ran on the home pages for the websites of The Washington Post, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Politico. The coalition took over the front page of The Washington Post’s site in the D.C. region with a banner ad across the top of the front page, additional boxes on each side of the Post masthead and a rollover box giving facts above the site’s popular stories. The ads urged…