New poll finds support for legalised New Jersey online gambling

This latest study was conducted by Adam Geller, Chief Executive Officer for Republican polling firm National Research Incorporated and a pollster for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and runs in direct opposition to a survey released earlier this week by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind Poll.

The research from the north central New Jersey liberal arts institution was recently released and professed to have discovered that 58 percent of the state’s residents were against legalising online gambling with only 31 percent in support.

However, the poll from Geller has now reportedly found that 74 percent of those balloted agreed with the statement that residents should be permitted to play ‘casino games on the Internet’ as long as they are regulated and players can afford to do so with only 21 percent in opposition.

In addition, the Geller poll discovered that 65 percent of residents would support legislation for the legalisation of ‘Internet versions of casino games such as poker and blackjack for New Jersey residents’ providing any such activities were ‘age restricted and regulated’ by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission while 29 percent would disagree with any such measure. Of the 65 percent in favour, the latest research found that 37 percent would ‘strongly support’ the legalisation of online gambling while 28 percent would ‘somewhat support’ such a measure.

Both polls come as the debate heats up on whether New Jersey should legalise intra-state online gambling with proposed legislation that could see the state permit the activity having cleared the committee stage in the New Jersey General Assembly and New Jersey Senate. Both bodies are now scheduled to vote on the proposal that would potentially permit casinos in Atlantic City to accept wagers from punters in other states and nations as long as New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement determines that this doesn’t violate federal law.