Fri, 08/26/2011 – 05:15 – PokerPages Staff

New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak has reportedly kick started his attempts to regulate online gambling in the state by introducing a new bill on Thursday.

Lesniak’s first bill was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie earlier this year after passing through both houses of state government. Lesniak was said to have admitted that he would not reintroduce the bill unless Christie guaranteed that a similar outcome would not occur again.

However, despite not receiving those assurances, Lesniak has supposedly decided to put forward bill S-3019 due to the precarious position of the horse-racing industry in New Jersey. The potential revenue from subsidizing online gambling could be crucial to its immediate future.

“I’m hoping the governor will reassess his position, and that Republican representatives from that area will help him change his mind. I think the opportunity is here to get together and change his view,” Lesniak said in a statement.

Lesniak is reported to have made several changes to the new bill, addressing Christie’s previous concerns that internet gambling cafes could become a widespread problem in the state if it had been signed into law.

Supposedly, Lesniak is also eager for New Jersey to become the first state to legalize gambling on the virtual felt as it would help strengthen their position if and when federal legislation is passed in the United States.

“It’s not going to be a long road, but we’re just not sure where it leads. We’ll put the bill back on his desk before the end of the year, and hopefully by that time we’ll have changed his mind,” Lesniak concluded.