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"Nevada and the District of Columbia have already taken steps to authorize online poker, and state officials in Iowa have been studying the issue closely. Lawmakers in New Jersey and California are redoubling their efforts to legalize it, bolstered by a recent Department of Justice decision that reversed the federal government's long-held opposition to many forms of Internet gambling. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey spoke this month of making his state an "epicenter" of the online gambling industry. "

Zynga Inc (NASDAQ:ZNGA)'s attempts to enter real-money gambling may be held back by US laws, which favor existing casinos, according to Bloomberg. So far, 3 US states, including New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, have passed laws that will allow online gambling games to be played on their territories, but it looks like the conditions will benefit casinos which dominate the gambling scene. This could create problems for the social gaming giant, which is looking to reduce its dependence on its current business model, including bolstering growth and business transactions by offering real-money games. At present, Zynga (ZNGA) has employed a 'free to play' business model, which was started by multiplayer online games like Jagex Games Studio' RuneScape. It allow players to play games free of cost but with the choice to spend real money on virtual items or other in-game advantages. These in-games purchases are called "micro-transactions".

"New Jersey has cleared the way for casino patrons to gamble on their tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices."

"The only item relevant to Meadowlands Matters, though, is filed under, "Renewing American Values to Build Healthy Families, Great Schools and Safe Neighborhoods." That addresses online gaming, an issue that has won the ongoing support of the New Jersey legislature at the state level - though Governor Christie has yet to be convinced that the wagering wouldn't run afoul of Atlantic City's monopoly on table games."

" New Jersey is deadly serious about making sure anyone who gambles online once Internet betting begins this week is physically within the state. And the technology designed to ensure it may freeze some bettors out of the action unless they move farther away from the state's borders."