It has seemed as though intrastate online gambling was going to happen in the state of New Jersey with only Governor Chris Christie’s signature needed to put the latest bill into law. Now, this may not be the case, after what Christie stated during a recent radio interview. Christie was featured on Ask the Governor, a radio program in New Jersey, in which Christie stated he is concerned about a new generation of addicted gamblers.
The radio took place this past Tuesday night and Christie stated the bill was sitting on his desk. Christie stated: “I have to make a decision very soon. I haven’t made a final decision yet, but there are two things I’m concerned about. First is I don’t know that it really will help Atlantic City. I’m concerned that it may drive traffic away from Atlantic City, that if people can gamble in their own homes on their laptops, why are they going to go to Atlantic City? I think that’s contrary to what we’re trying to accomplish here.”
Christie stated that he is afraid that additional gambling options in the state would cause additional addiction and problems with gambling. Christie stated that he is ‘really concerned’ that approving the bill will ‘set up a whole new generation of addicted gamblers. If you can sit on the edge of your bed with your laptop and gamble away a paycheck, that’s a lot different than making the conscious decision o go down to Atlantic City to a casino.”
Christie’s statements made those in favor of online gambling in the state nervous that the governor would sign the bill into law. Hopefully this is not the case, but only time will tell. Christie summarized his feelings in the radio program, by stating: “I haven’t made a final decision yet, but I have those two concerns and you should know that’s the way I feel. It’s in part the reasons that I vetoed the bill before in addition to some ways it was constructed that I thought made no sense either. I’m taking a close look at it. I was reading it over the weekend and reading the briefing from my staff in depth and I’m going to have to make a decision in the next couple of days.”
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