New Jersey's online poker affiliates asked to stop promoting illegal gaming websites

In a letter sent to six of the major affiliates websites in the industry, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement informed them that they would be restricted from directly targeting New Jersey’s residents or visitors unless they removed all links and banners from offshore gambling websites still operating illegally in the Garden State.

The letter, signed by New Jersey Assistant Attorney General George N. Rover, requests CardsChat.com, PokerSource.com, RakeBrain.com, Pokersites.com, RaketheRake.com and another website to « immediately remove any online gaming links that are not authorized under federal law or under the law of any state », and threatened them of civil and criminal sanctions. “We believe that this may either taint legitimate sites by associating them with the illegal ones, and conversely may lend the appearance that these illegal sites are affiliated with authorized sites, said DGE spokeswoman Kerry Langan. The Division feels very strongly about protecting NJ citizens from illegal Internet gaming websites. New Jersey has a strong regulatory framework in place to enable Internet gaming to be a safe reliable experience for those who wish to participate”. Before adding that “these illegal sites do not offer the same protections to players and we do not want these unregulated sites being promoted with our legal, regulated sites”. By taking a strong stance against illegal websites and their promoters, the DGE hopes that the benefits of regulated online gaming will “help drive illegal operators out of the market place and provide patrons far better protections”. “At the same time, we believe it is unfair to those companies that subjected themselves to our strict licensing and regulatory requirements to have to compete with these illegal sites and the entities, which are being paid to promote them”, she added.

Source: OnlinePokerReport