How Do NJ Online Casinos Track Online Gamblers From Other States

The online gambling scene in the United States is much different from those in other countries. It has different quirks and challenges from the rest of the world, which also impact players, as well. No doubt you will have heard that online gambling is only available in a handful of states, including New Jersey. But have you considered how those laws are enforced? After all, how do you police someone on the Internet when they have so many options to exploit?

In this article, we will explore the location tracking systems used by New Jersey online casinos. We will give you a brief rundown of the situation in New Jersey and how it led to the implementation of the current model.

How New Jersey Online Gambling Laws Work?

After the legal gambling expansion outside of Atlantic City in 2016, New Jersey became the leading state when it comes down to online gambling. As such, it has paved the way and set a model for other states to follow. This also includes the means of preventing non-residents from accessing the betting platform. But why is there a need for this?

The US online gambling scene is not particularly uniform, and each state has its own set of rules and regulations in relations to the industry. For instance, the online slots are ever more popular and various software providers offer more appealing titles. The new Ainsworth slots for NJ, for example, are a great sign that the online gambling scene will grow at a fast pace. As a result, what goes on in one state does not do for another. While several states have recently legalised online gambling, there was a time when it was outlawed across the country. The State of New Jersey was the first to introduce properly regulated online casinos to the masses, but only residents were (and still are) permitted to join.

With such strict limitations, New Jersey online casinos had to find a reliable yet simple method to restrict those from out of state. After all, you do not want to break the law by offering illegal gambling, but you also want to make it easy for your customers to place their bets. Fortunately, as computers developed so did their capabilities. This led online casinos to pursue effective means of guaranteeing a player’s physical location. Thus came location tracking for the purposes of online gambling.

How Does the Tracking Software Work?

Geolocation tracking is not a new concept in online gambling. Plenty of websites block players from different countries where they are not licensed. It is often the bane of many gamblers from jurisdictions without proper iGaming. However, this is usually done with simple IP tracking and is, more or less, a good solution when dealing with multiple countries.

Tracking on the state level is a different matter. When you sign up at an NJ online casino, you are required to download and install special tracking software to your PC. For you to place a bet, it has to be running at all times. If you turn it off and try to access the online casino, you will be blocked.

With mobile devices, we see a similar process. Since modern smartphones come equipped with GPS, all you have to do is leave it running. The casino app will ask for permission and as long as you allow it, you will have access to the casino. For more information about NJ gaming sites and how they work, be sure to check out our list of legal New Jersey online casinos.

Playing online in the United States is no doubt much more of a hassle than anywhere else in the world. New Jersey casinos have to abide by strict regulations, which requires even stricter practices on their behalf. The geolocation tracking is much more complex when it comes to tracking on a state by state basis, even more so, when you have a relatively small state such as New Jersey. While the system works as a whole, there are certain issues with it that we have to talk about.

Problems with Location Tracking

Geolocation tracking is an inelegant solution to an even more annoying problem. The fractured status of online gambling in the United States prevents the industry from growing smoothly and concisely. Tracking player’s location is the only real option that operators have to work with. Yet despite that, it still has several problems going for it.

The thing about tracking technology is that it isn’t always accurate. It is reliable for the most part, but it can occasionally provide false readings. Players living close to the state’s borders might find themselves excluded because the software thinks they are in the wrong place. Similarly, you can also get away with playing from a neighbouring state if you live close enough to the border.

False readings have caused problems for both individuals and online casinos in the past. The tracking technology has got more accurate over the years, yet the risk of false positives remains.

Privacy and Online Gambling in NJ

The need to track customers’ location also brings up another interesting point related to privacy. Only in the United States do online casinos need the pinpoint location of a player. Nowhere else in the world do you need to surrender that information just to place a few bets.

Considering how privacy on the Internet is becoming ever more tricky and necessary, do we really want online casinos to be in control of this much personal information? We, as customers, already provide substantial amounts, including copies of government IDs, banking statements, drivers licenses, etc. Throw constant location tracking into the mix, and we have a weird Big Brother vibe going on.

Of course, this is not to say that online casinos will establish a totalitarian dictatorship or anything of the sort. Still, if that information fell into the wrong hands, things would become messy. Data leaks are all too common in today’s day and age. Every year we hear about how some company has failed to update its security, leading to thousands of credit cards becoming exposed. Imagine if that happened with all of the information we currently provide to gaming websites.

Final Words and Conclusion

All in all, there is little we can do about this. Unless the Federal Government comes up with a nation-wide plan to regulate online gambling, we will be stuck with the same ill-equipped system. That does not look likely; at least, not in the coming several years. Multiple states have begun the liberalisation of online casino gaming, but these are few. A great example is NJ where the gambling floor is regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. Moreover, they will also utilise a similar system as New Jersey, which also expands the problem.

FAQ about NJ Casinos Geolocation Tracking

Geolocation tracking is a commonly misunderstood phenomenon. We want to dispel some rumours and myths. For this reason, we have prepared a short FAQ, covering several important topics. We hope that it is of help and answers some of your questions.