New Jersey regulators were virtually all alone in a brave new world back in late 2013 when the state allowed the launch of legal online casino sites.
Nevada had recently begun permitting online poker, but the ubiquity of brick-and-mortar casinos nearby for most of that state’s residents made it a niche product. Same for Delaware, which launched almost simultaneously with New Jersey — but only via a state lottery-run platform.
New Jersey allowed multiple gaming companies to market their product in the state, leading to advertising oversight challenges.
State Division of Gaming Enforcement Director David Rebuck reminisced about those days Monday during a “power lunch” panel called “The Do’s and Don’ts of Advertising and iGaming.” The discussion was sponsored by the GeoComply geolocation firm and the iDevelopment and Economic Association, a nonprofit association that seeks to grow online gambling in the U.S.
“For the first two years of online gambling in New Jersey, I made my staff review and approve every promotional plan that was going to be offered to customers,” Rebuck recalled. “It was overwhelming.