Talk about "convenience gaming"

ASSUMING THE five-day test period that concludes today completes without a hitch, a new era of Atlantic City-based gambling ushers in tomorrow: Internet wagering.

For the first time since the dice began to roll in May 1978, people who live in the Garden State will be able to legally gamble by simply using an Internet-connected device.

Online betting is hoped to be something of a lifesaver for the financially beleaguered industry that has seen gross gaming revenues plummet by almost half since earning more than $5 billion in 2006 - a situation caused by the one-two punch of a still-sour economy and, more importantly, the explosion of casino gaming in neighboring states including Pennsylvania, which has surpassed AyCee as America's second-largest gambling jurisdiction (Nevada remains in the top spot).

Online gaming won't be an unfettered free-for-all, but a tightly regulated system run exclusively by existing brick-and-mortar Atlantic City casinos.

Here's what you need to know:

Q: How does Internet gaming work?

A: People who can prove they are 21 or older (state driver-license databases will be a primary confirmation source) can go to the website or sites of their choice and open an account with a credit card. Once the registration is complete, downloadable software can be installed on the user's computer, tablet or phone (smartphone play will begin before the end of the year).

Q: What games can I play?

A: The online sites can offer any games that are played in Atlantic City's casinos, but most are expected to start with slots, blackjack, roulette and poker. If history is any indication, poker should be particularly popular.

Q: I live in Pennsylvania, can I play online?

A: Yes, as long as you are 21 and are playing on a device physically located in the state of New Jersey (which sites will determine by the IP, or Internet Protocol, address sent out from your device).

Q: Are there any limits to how often I can play online?

A: No.

Q: Who is offering online gaming?

A: The following casinos have so far been cleared by the state to operate websites: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Bally's Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, Golden Nugget Atlantic City, Tropicana Atlantic City, Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal. Others are expected to follow, pending approval.

Q: Are there any limits to how many sites I can join?

A: No.

Q: Do the casinos run the gambling sites?

A: While Golden Nugget Atlantic City is keeping their operation in-house, the other properties have partnered with existing sites that have been up and running in countries where online gambling has been legal.

Q: Will I be able to earn comps like I can at a casino?

A: The state of New Jersey has approved marketing strategies already in place at the various casinos for online operations. As such, comps - free hotel rooms, meals, gifts, etc. - can be earned by players meeting individual casinos' requirements.

Q: Can I cash out my account any time I want?

A: Yes.

Q: As we learned from the Absolute Poker scandal of a few years ago, online games can easily be rigged. What safeguards are in place to ensure the games are legitimate?

A: Lisa Spengler, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, which oversees the state's gambling industry, said all games offered for play at either casinos or on the Internet must be tested and approved by the division's Technical Service Bureau Slot laboratory. Any game that fails to pass those strict regulatory standards cannot be offered for play.

Q: Is Jersey the only state offering online gambling?

A:No. Nevada and Delaware also offer it.

Q: Is this the "magic bullet" Atlantic City has been waiting for to save it?

A: No one knows, and the answer may not be apparent for quite some time.

Q: Am I missing something, or does online gambling give people another reason not to visit Atlantic City?

A: That's a question that can't be answered for a while. But according to one casino chieftain, the other side of that coin is the potential to create new customers.

"It could be a [problem], but there are folks who don't go anywhere to game, and those folks will be able to game," said Tropicana general manager Steve Callender.

Callender added that even if the results of Internet betting aren't assured, it's a crucial step because, "It gives Atlantic City a fighting chance."

Blog: philly.com/Casinotes