Push to revisit web gaming emerges, but Nevada online figures barely register

When Jeff Sessions said he would revisit online gambling legislation if Congress approves him as the next U.S. Attorney General, he got push back from an angry New Jersey official.

But there was barely a peep out of Nevada, one of three states along with New Jersey that permits online poker.

That is because more than three years after legalization, online poker still generates a mere rounding error in Nevada’s gaming revenue.

In the aftermath of Sessions comments to Congress, New Jersey Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo last week introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. President Trump and Congress not to prohibit online betting.

Mazzeo called the online segment the one growth spot in New Jersey’s languishing gaming sector. Internet gaming generated $198 million in casino win, resulting in $29.5 million in gaming tax revenues for the state, Mazzeo’s resolution stated.

”We want to make sure we still stay in [Internet Gaming],” he said on his Twitter account.

The Garden State has seen casino revenue decline about 50 percent since 2006, with some resorts shutting their doors, as neighboring states legalized casino betting, stealing Atlantic City’s visitors. New York state is set to open two casinos in February.

Nevada, though, has seen a rebound in land-based gaming prompting Wynn Resorts, Ltd. and Genting Group to plan new casinos on he Strip. Nevada land-based gaming revenue rose 1.3 percent to $11.26 billion in 2016, the third year of growth.

Nevada doesn’t give a breakdown for online poker revenue like New Jersey because there is only one company currently offering the service. The South Point stopped offering the service.

888 Holdings plc, which partners with Caesars Entertainment to offer online poker, could not immediately respond to a request for local gaming revenue.

888 Holdings plc generated a total of $22.4 million in online revenue from Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, according to its first half results.

While prohibiting Internet betting might have no noticeable impact on Nevada’s gaming revenue, it would put an end to a number of IT jobs supporting the infrastructure, said A.G. Burnett, chairmen of the Gaming Control Board.

“Providers of services like geolocation, age verification, hosting centers would be affected,” Burnett said.

Contact Todd Prince at 702-383-0386 or tprince@reviewjournal.com. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.