888Poker Debacle Highlights Problems with New Jersey Online Casino Rollout

Players furious at poker sites technical deficiencies, latest in series of problems associated with introduction of online gambling in the state.

Legislators may have legalized online casinos in the US state last year, but things are not going smoothly for gamblers in New Jersey.

888Poker, in collaboration with Caesar's Entertainment, was one of the first online gambling sites to open in New Jersey last year. The rollout has not gone as smoothly as planned, with players complaining about the lack of a VIP program. Even worse, the site has been plagued by continuous disconnect problems.

While it obviously doesn't compare to the Obamacare rollout debacle, players are furious. An online thread under the title: "I’m sick of this disconnect crap" has been dedicated to voicing displeasure over the site's problems.

Just the latest in a long line of headaches

888Poker's problems are just the latest in a serious of headaches that have plagued New Jersey since the changes to American gambling laws last year. The original launch of online casinos was fraught with access problems, as a reported 200,000 potential gamblers were unable to register for various reasons during the first week and a half.

In addition to that, many banks and credit card companies have been reluctant to transfer funds to online casinos because of uncertainty over the legality of online gambling.

Despite these problems, operators and pro-gambling legislators are optimistic about the industry's future. Given the insatiable appetite of gamblers, one can bet that once the kinks are worked out, online gambling in New Jersey with enter a boom phase.