New Jersey is now one of three states (Nevada, Delaware) where residents can gamble on line, NBC News reported. A five-day trial period within state borders began last night at 6:00 pm, the Miami Herald reported. If all goes according to plan, the service will officially debut on Nov. 26.
"The soft opening will be used to demonstrate to the division that all systems perform as required under the stress of live gaming and that operational and revenue reporting controls are effective," Division of Gaming Enforcement Director David Rebuck said in a statement.
"Staff will continually assess the progress of each platform provider before allowing them to open gaming to the general public on November 26," Rebuck said of the six internet gambling sites that launched Thursday night. Thirteen in total have permits; the remaining seven must also get final approval before going live, according to NBC News.
Less than 24 hours after the trial period began, not everything has gone to plan. Many users have been wrongly blocked by "online fences" meant to ensure access within New Jersey state lines only. Dead zones have mostly affected gamblers near Jersey's borders, according to the Miami Herald, though one resident claimed he tried logging on in Atlantic City and was denied access because the servers didn't recognize his location. Tech experts anticipated "slivers" of inactive areas, but not to this degree. No explanations have been given, the Miami Herald reported. Thus far, online gambling remains on trackto official debut following the five-day trial period.
Other than test border security, "soft play" will be used to gauge the integrity of financial transactions and the functionality of games, according to NBC News.
Though New Jersey must strictly monitor its statewide borders, the state may one day create exclusive international accounts. To restore some of Atlantic City's economy, which has suffered as more casinos establish themselves in the area, NJ Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) will propose a bill allowing AC casinos to set up online casinos that cater to international clients only, njspotlight reported.
