New Jersey Online Gambling Supporter To Run For Governor

0 Comments   Email   Print

It has become evident in the United States that if online gambling has to make a major breakthrough, then its supporters have to aspire for more powerful political positions. State Democrat Senator from New Jersey, Ray Lesniak, is doing just that. He will be contesting for the post of Governor of New Jersey in 2017.

That New Jersey has legalized online gambling today is only due the dogged efforts of Lesniak. He kept persevering through years of surveys, political debate, litigation and even gubernatorial veto by current Governor Chris Christie. Christie’s term of office as governor ends in 2017. He may quit even before that because he has thrown his hat into the ring for the contest of the Republican nominee for the US presidential elections next year.

Lesniak has ample political experience. He has served for 37 years in the state Legislature. As a governor he would be addressing a larger basket of issues, but will not desert online gambling. Among his priorities in this sector is to block the efforts of land casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who is trying to get a federal ban on online gambling. He will also further develop New Jersey's online gambling infrastructure. His first objective will be to strengthen New Jersey’s Internet gambling through compacts with other like-minded states. His ultimate vision is to create a global online gambling hub that will bring investment, tax revenues and jobs to the Garden State. He will target the revenue that is currently going outside the state for illegal offshore gambling.

Another big issue for Lesniak will be sports betting which is also a legally contentious area. The Senator has been fighting for years to break the stranglehold of the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which restricts sports betting to just four US states. If elected governor, then Lesniak will harness the greater power and resources at his command to litigate and negotiate with national sports organizations seeking to find a way around PASPA. He will even try to persuade Congress to amend or overturn the contentious legislation.

An online gambling opponent has also been in the news for political reasons. South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham is the main sponsor of the Restoration of America's Wire Act which seeks to federally ban online gambling. Graham is also competing for the Republican presidential candidate. In a debate with other hopefuls Graham fared so badly that the odds of his securing the nomination went from 50/1 to 250/1.

News Item Tools

 Email     Print     Digg     Del.icio.us    StumbleUpon

Comments

 Add Comment

Add Comment

More News