Online bets have helped revive Atlantic City's struggling casino industry, which has seen five of its 12 casinos go out of business in the last three years. Last year, backed by money won from gamblers online, Atlantic City's casinos posted their first revenue increase in a decade.
However, threats to internet gambling loom in National Congress.
The bill passed by the New Jersey Legislature and signed by Christie says a federal prohibition against internet gambling would negatively impact New Jersey, "dismantling the investments that the state and Atlantic City casinos have already made to implement and regulate Internet gaming."
““New Jersey began offering internet gambling in November 2013.
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Since then, online bets have steadily grown and have become a crucial part of Atlantic City casinos' business models, with nearly USD 600M won from gamblers playing online.
New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware are the only states that offer internet gambling, with New Jersey having the largest market among the three. Several other states are considering legalizing it.