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(Associated Press) - On an otherwise cloudy day in Atlantic City, a bright spot of news: New Jersey's first Internet gambling permit has been issued to the Borgata in Atlantic City.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement says the casino was the first to complete the application and must wait until Nov. 21 to actually make use of the permit.
On that date a 5-day trial period begins. If that goes well, state residents and visitors will be able to access Internet gambling on Nov. 26.
Tom Ballance, president of Borgata, says his company is committed to taking the lead as the city's casinos begin to offer Internet gambling.
When the online gambling does become available in late November, New Jersey will join Nevada and Delaware as the only states in the country to allow it. Some casino experts estimate that the resulting revenue could reach billions of dollars per year.
That's welcome news to the struggling shore destination that has watched its gambling revenue sink from a high of $5.2 billion in 2006 to just over $3 billion last year.
For now, the introduction of Internet gambling gives New Jersey casinos an edge over the tables and slots in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland, which have been stealing their customers.
