Atlantic City following Las Vegas into mobile gaming

Las Vegas casinos received the right last year to offer gambling from mobile devices poolside and in guest hotel rooms. The new ways to gamble allowed vacationers to enjoy their favorite relaxation spots while still being able to place bets on blackjack and other popular casino games.

New Jersey lawmakers have been faced with a similar situation of being pressured to help their ailing gaming industry in Atlantic City, and the lawmakers have responded the same way as the Nevada legislators. State Senator Jim Whelan has proposed a bill that would allow hotel guests to carry a hand-held betting device that would be allowed throughout the facility.

The bill has been passed this week by the Senate Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. The next step will be for the bill to go to a debate in the full Senate and a possible vote shortly after. The House would have to approve the measure, and Governor Chris Christie signature is required before the bill could become law.

"It's a way of adapting to a generation of young adults who were weaned on smartphones and iPads," said Whelan, when describing his legislation to The Associated Press. "That's the way they communicate and interact and recreate."

Atlantic City casinos have been mired in a horrendous revenue slump for the past three years. In 2011, the industry showed signs of life at times, but the success was always short-lived. Lawmakers in New Jersey have been searching for different solutions, some of which include possible sports betting and online gambling.

Governor Christie vetoed a bill last year that would have authorized online gambling. The governor, at the time, was receiving strong political pressure to veto the bill. This year, many Conservatives have reversed their stance on Internet gambling, and the Department of Justice released an opinion last December that negated decades of incorrect assumptions about the Wire Act.

The DoJ, in its opinion, claimed that only sports betting is illegal under the Wire Act, leaving the door open for individual states to start crafting online gambling regulations. New Jersey is one of the states expected to be at the front of the Internet gaming explosion most analysts predict is coming within the next several years in the US.