Duane Morris Receives Corporate LiveWire’s 2016 Excellence in Gaming New Jersey Law Firm Award

Duane Morris LLP has received the 2016 Corporate LiveWire Excellence in Gaming Law Firm Award for New Jersey. The gaming awards look at the gaming sector as a whole and cover casinos, online and mobile gaming, as well as championing firms involved in
gaming law and regulatory compliance.

“We’re honored to receive this award,” said Hersh Kozlov, head of the firm’s Gaming Law Practice Group and managing partner of the Cherry Hill office. “We strive to provide our gaming industry clients with top-notch service and it’s gratifying to be recognized for the work we do.”

The Corporate LiveWire Awards represent the pinnacle of business achievement, recognizing the best in their respective fields. The awards cover the most important sectors of business, from finance advisories and funding providers to law firms and specialist advisory companies that deal with mergers and acquisitions.

For the full story, please see the press release on the Duane Morris website.

Duane Morris Partner Christoper Soriano to Speak at the 6th Forum on US Online Gaming

Duane Morris partner Christopher Soriano will be a speaker at the 6th Forum on US Online Gaming to be held on May 12-14, 2015, at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in New York City. Mr. Soriano will be a speaker for the “Pre-Forum Master Class: Interstate Gaming: How Can Cross-Border Capability Improve Liquidity?” on May 12 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Video Gaming Bill Reintroduced in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania House Bill 808, introduced this week, would authorize video gaming machines for video poker, bingo, keno and other games in establishments with valid liquor licenses, such as restaurants, bars, taverns, hotels or clubs, in Pennsylvania. Similar legislation was introduced last year, and we provided an analysis of that bill here. In addition to providing an overview of the legislation, this Alert highlights the many similarities and distinct differences between House Bill 808 and last year’s legislation.

What’s Authorized

Licensed establishments with less than 2,500 square feet would be permitted up to five video gaming terminals. One additional terminal would be permitted for every additional 500 square feet, up to a maximum of 10 terminals. In comparison, last year’s legislation authorized up to only three machines at an establishment.

Maximum wagers are held to $2.50 with a maximum payout of $500 and a payout percentage of 85 percent. The only change from last year’s legislation is a reduction from $1,000 to $500 on the maximum payout.

To read the full text of this Alert, please visit the Duane Morris website.

Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee Introduces Bill That Would Allow Existing Casinos to Offer Internet Gaming

On February 25, 2015, John Payne, Chairman of the Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee, introduced a bill that would allow existing Pennsylvania casinos to offer Internet gaming to patrons in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), which currently regulates casino gaming in the Commonwealth, would be responsible for licensing and regulating Internet gaming, as well. Under the bill, only existing casino licenses, or their affiliates, will be eligible to offer poker and other casino style games over the Internet. The proposed legislation also calls for the licensing of “significant vendors,” which would include operators of interactive gaming systems on behalf of the existing licensees. Importantly, the proposed legislation does not include a “bad actor” provision that would bar individuals or entities previously associated with illegal Internet gaming activities from being licensed by the PGCB. However, applicants would still be required to satisfy Pennsylvania’s suitability requirements, and it remains to be seen what view the PGCB will take of applicants who may have previously engaged in unlawful Internet gaming activities.

Subject to the limits under federal law, the bill limits participation in Internet gaming to those physically present in Pennsylvania, or from states with which Pennsylvania negotiates an Internet gaming agreement. The bill contemplates a rapid implementation cycle by requiring the PGCB to decide a licensing application within 120 days of a proper application being submitted. The PGCB may also grant temporary authorization to any vendor upon the filing of a complete application.

To read the full text of this Alert, please visit the Duane Morris website.

Duane Morris’ Chris Soriano Writes on “California, Regulated I-Gaming and the Tribal Question”

Duane Morris special counsel Chris Soriano of the firm’s Cherry Hill office wrote “California, Regulated I-Gaming and the Tribal Question,” which was published in the March 2014 issue of World Online Gambling Law Report.

The California Legislature is currently considering two bills – AB2291 and SB1366 – to legalise online poker in the state. California Senator Lou Correa and Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer Sr., introduced legislation that would authorise online poker in the state and permit Indian tribes with gambling rights to obtain licences. Mr. Soriano sheds light on the situation in California and discusses the credentials of both bills.

Click here to read the full text of the article.

Duane Morris’ Adam Berger Writes on “Tavern Gaming: Did Pennsylvania Gamble Away a Huge Revenue Opportunity?”

Duane Morris’ Adam Berger, an associate in the firm’s Cherry Hill office, authored “Tavern Gaming: Did Pennsylvania Gamble Away a Huge Revenue Opportunity?” which appeared in the Philadelphia Business Journal on March 13, 2014.

In a move meant to increase Pennsylvania’s state and local tax base, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed into law a bill that allows bars and taverns throughout the commonwealth to offer certain games of chance, known as tavern games. They include pull-tabs, daily drawings and certain raffles. Pull-tabs are games of chance that involve a ticket in which a player pulls, peels or pops open a selected part of the ticket to reveal images for a chance to win a prize based on what the ticket shows. These games may not offer a single prize higher than $2,000 or $35,000 in any consecutive seven-day period.

Click here to read the full article on the Philadelphia Business Journal website.

The Likely Battle Between the State Lottery and Atlantic City’s Casinos

The New Jersey State Lottery, in existence for more than 42 years, has been a source of significant profit for state institutions and state aid for education. Even so, New Jersey has commenced efforts to privatize certain functions of the lottery, with the ultimate goal of increasing revenue and improviing the lottery’s operation. As the process has moved forward, the coexistence between lottery and casinos has become a topic of possible concern, particularly with the legalization of Internet wagering. Partner Frank DiGiacomo takes a closer look at the relationship between lottery and casinos in New Jersey, and what the partial privatization of the lottery may mean for the casino industry going forward in this article published in New Jersey Lawyer.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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