Temporary Regulations for Skill-Based Gaming in New Jersey

Gambling regulators in New Jersey have published temporary regulations regarding skill based gaming content at land based casino floors in the state.

Yesterday the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement published the guidelines about skill based gaming in brick and mortar casinos in Atlantic City, fulfilling the promise they made to casino operators and game creators in October two years ago.

Guidelines Related to Skill-Based Games

The rules about skill based gaming in New Jersey are similar to those put in place last year in Nevada with the US state pointing out that any approved device in Nevada would be allowed and offered in Atlantic City as well.

The guidelines include provisions over the earned percentage of wagers and prohibit casino operators from making these games harder or easier to win while a game is running. A player’s skills will determine his/her winning potential.

Furthermore, programs monitoring the entre action will be introduced which will guard against money laundering or problems resulting in a multi player peer to peer games.

According to the director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, David Rebuck, this is a very important step towards introducing and implementing skill based games in casinos in Atlantic City.

“Despite the fact that the Division has the power to authorize skill based games for some time now and announced the initiative in October 2014 for developers to bring their games with skill elements to New Jersey, the gambling industry itself requested certain regulations to move forward with the efforts to develop skill based content,” he added.

The director also added that under the fast track provision, developers who will bring games with skill based elements to New Jersey before any other jurisdiction will have them in operations in Atlantic City casino floors in about 14 days of approval.

Even though the testing lab in the state has yet to receive skill based game applications, Rebuck said that they have been in talks with several companies and hopes that the release of these temporary regulations would spur more interest.

Appealing to the New Generation of Players

Industry experts believe that skill based games will catch the eyes of millennials, the new generation of casino players, who view sitting in front of a mechanic slot machine as a passive, boring and solitary activity.

Casino operators also hope that these games will help replenish their thinning levels of old slot gamers. Young players are still attracted by popular casino destinations such as Las Vegas, but they tent to visit clubs and pool parties more than gamble in casino floors.

Even though skill based games haven’t been launched in Nevada yet, there are rumors that gambling versions of the well known social games Angry Birds and Guitar Hero are in a developing stage.