What stays in Vegas: how Nevada’s online gambling law will — and won’t — change social gaming

Nevada became the first state in the country this week to allow online gambling with a new law that gives the green light to poker and other games. The new policy is significant in light of research that predicts online gambling will be worth $100 billion worldwide on mobile devices alone by 2017. This potential market has attracted the established casino industry as well as tech companies that are vying to make gambling games or process back-end betting operations. The law is intended to keep Nevada out in front of rival New Jersey but will not do much for social game makers like Zynga that are counting on gambling to change their fortunes. The Nevada only applies to internet users in the state. The law is also primarily intended not to help social gaming sites but to ensure that Vegas casinos have a first-mover advantage in providing operational support when — and if — other states follow suit.