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Two bills - one of which could put a roulette table in the palm of a gambler's hand, the other offers multimillion-dollar tax breaks for nongaming development in Atlantic City - cleared the state Senate gaming committee Monday afternoon in Trenton.

Both bills now go to the full Senate for a vote.

Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, said wireless gaming is "an attempt to recognize we have a generation of young adults who are used to getting their recreation and communications from the palm of their hand."

Wireless gaming has been permitted since 2005 in Nevada, where casino patrons can take their games practically everywhere but their rooms.

Attorneys Joseph Tyrell and Joseph Dougherty, who represent the Casino Association of New Jersey, said the group supports the proposal - which would permit authorized games on approved devices within a casino property - because it wants the nation's second-largest gaming jurisdiction to keep current with trends.

They cited other recent examples of gaming halls taking gambling beyond the casino floor, such as Tropicana Casino and Resort's installation of slot machines and electronic table games in The Quarter and the introduction of blackjack tables to The Pool at Harrah's Resort.

"This is an exciting area we need to address, and New Jersey can be the forefront," Tyrell said.

David Rebuck, director of the state Division of Gaming Enforcement, has said he is confident New Jersey can develop regulations to ensure the integrity of the wireless gaming devices, as well as the ability to keep them out of the hands of children.

Senators later questioned the value of the tax credit program, which would provide nongaming development projects in the Tourism District with a $20 million credit against state taxes over 10 years if the project costs at least $20 million and creates at least 100 jobs.

"While we're working to keep Atlantic City's casinos competitive, we have to be mindful of keeping Atlantic City competitive, and by offering a tax credit for nongaming projects within the Tourism District, we can attract new shopping, dining and entertainment options for Atlantic City's visitors to enjoy," Whelan said in a statement.

However, Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, asked during the hearing why lawmakers should lower the threshold from the older Urban Transit Hub program, which required at least a $50 million investment and 250 new jobs for eligibility.

"From a business standpoint, those are big projects in our eyes," Greater Atlantic City Chamber President Joseph Kelly said of the smaller Atlantic City projects. He added, "Business needs the incentives to attract them to our marketplace."

Sen. Sam Thompson, R-Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, also wondered how the state Economic Development Authority, which would have final authority, would judge the merits of the projects.

Thompson asked whether the project developers would apply for other incentives on local taxes and questioned the net effect on local schools if the EDA approved significant numbers of projects.

Whelan said an additional provision that would allow casinos to lease slot machines for a portion of revenue would likely be changed. Most of the city's casinos, other than Resorts Casino Hotel, oppose the proposal out of fear they would be forced into sharing revenue or lose access to newer devices.

Lawmakers also approved several amendments to the original bills. One would give the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority the right to regulate noise in the Tourism District, over and above whatever city ordinances were in effect.

Whelan said that was something that should have been done in the original Tourism District legislation. Gov. Chris Christie signed a similar bill last month sponsored by Whelan and other shore lawmakers that largely exempted beach bars, amusement parks and carnival amusements from state noise laws between May 15 and Oct. 15.

Amaya Gaming is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sale of technology based gaming solutions for the regulated gaming industry worldwide. Amaya is onto the latest way to play and has announced it will offer mobile applications to its customers.

The Canadian firm has been very aggressive in the online wagering world of late and it is not surprising they have made the move. Darcy Krogh, VP of business development commented that the direction is part of the Amaya Games business model, “Amaya recognizes that mobile gaming is fast becoming a standard as more players demand the convenience of portability in iGaming,” said Darcy Krogh, VP of Business Development. “We are excited to be the first provider delivering a mobile Live Dealer product which will complement our comprehensive selection of mobile slots, table games, and lottery games. Combined with our monthly release of quality online casino games, this demonstrates our continued commitment to provide our customers with the best casino games and platform on the market.”

Just last month Amaya entered into a three year development and licensing agreement with a subsidiary of Australia-based gaming company Aristocrat Leisure Limited. Aristocrat Online is a division of Aristocrat Leisure Limited and is a Company that is licensed by more than 200 regulators and its products and services are available in over 90 countries around the world.

The mobile casino industry is moving at lightning speed as tablets become more popular and smart phones continue penetrate huge segments of the world’s population. The youthful demographic is the target market as it has been since the internet came of age. Amaya’s mission statement says it all, ‘Amaya was founded on the principles of innovative thinking and world-class customer service. We remain deeply committed to providing customers with exceptional technical expertise and state-of-the-art technology-based solutions and products. Creativity, technological brilliance and customer responsiveness. That’s the Amaya edge.’

Casino owner Milton McGregor told his lobbyist in a phone call secretly recorded by the FBI that he told a key political player in the state that a 2010 gambling bill was about survival for him and his industry.

McGregor, owner of VictoryLand, told his lobbyist Tom Coker in the wiretapped phone call about a conversation with Paul Hubbert, who was then the powerful head of the Alabama Education Association.

McGregor and Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley were among those trying to pass gambling legislation in 2010, trying to keep their casinos open, and were trying to talk state Sen. Jim Preuitt, R-Talladega, into voting for their legislation.

Preuitt, according to testimony, was concerned about Hubbert spending $2 million against him in the 2010 election. The senator, according to testimony, funded his own campaigns, but did not want a heavily-contested election.

McGregor said in the call played Thursday in a federal corruption trial -- where he, Coker and Preuitt are defendants – that he had a long discussion with Hubbert on Preuitt’s behalf.

Recounting to Coker his conversation with Hubbert about Preuitt: “I got more riding on it than anything and I need his vote.” He said he told Hubbert the bill was “about survival for not just me, but my whole industry.”

With concerns about pending raids by a task force created by then-Gov. Bob Riley, which had raided at least one casino at the time and attempted other raids, Gilley and McGregor were pushing legislation in 2010 that would have allowed voters, if the Legislature had passed it, to decide if they wanted electronic gambling in the state.

Gilley, on the witness stand in the corruption trial, said Preuitt told him he did not want direct contributions because he funded his own campaigns, but was “intrigued” by an offer from Gilley to have country music stars play events in his district.

Gilley, who was once a defendant in the case and has since pleaded guilty, said he told Preuitt that Randy Owen of Alabama and Jamey Johnson were willing to participate. He also said those singers were making phone calls in support of the legislation. Coker, in another conversation with McGregor, said he had lunch with Preuitt and that the offer of country artists playing events was “icing on the cake.”

McGregor told Coker that Gilley and his people followed up on what they said they would do.

Gilley called the campaign events with country artists the “Democracy Tour.” He said he hosted an event for state Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb, another defendant in the case, in December 2009.

Gilley, who would bring country artists to the State House to lobby for gambling legislation, said he and his team offered to pay for talent, production costs, and food for Democracy Tour events.

Gilley said he used a “drop phone” that he changed out every week or two to make many of his phone calls so they would be more difficult to track. He said they used the drop phones because they were discussing illegal activity.

Gilley said the FBI had wiretaps on his cell phone, McGregor’s cell phone and drop phone, and on the cell phone of Gilley lobbyist Jarrod Massey.

McGregor’s attorneys have said he did not have a drop phone and had his phones for years. They have also argued that Gilley is a con man who bilked people out of millions of dollars.

Trucks

Gilley, in another wiretapped conversation with then-Country Crossing spokesman Jay Walker, talked about purchasing vehicles from Preuitt’s Ford dealership.

Walker, another defendant in the case, told him he did not need a truck, but was willing to purchase a vehicle from Preuitt. Gilley said he needed a truck and that eventually the construction company for Country Crossing would need a fleet of vehicles.

Gilley said he told Preuitt he would bring country music legend George Jones to purchase a truck from Preuitt. He told Walker in a wiretapped conversation to tell Preuitt that he would bring Jones.

Gilley said he had other conversations with Walker, and with McGregor, about purchasing vehicles from Preuitt.

Gilley said he went to McGregor’s house, met with him in his sun room, and mentioned the possibility of purchasing vehicles. He said McGregor was supportive and said he had purchased vehicles from Preuitt, but to wait because it might not be necessary.

Susan James, attorney for Walker, said the talk of purchasing vehicles was a joke and they were not serious.

Preuitt voted against bringing up gambling legislation for consideration on March 3, 2010, but voted in favor of the bill on March 30, 2010.

Prosecutors allege he changed his vote because Gilley, McGregor and their lobbyists bribed the senator.

Defense attorneys contest that the first vote was procedural and that the two versions were very different, with the second one being much simpler and not “grandfathering in” existing facilities.

The Senate approved the bill on March 30, 2010, with the minimum number of votes. Federal authorities made the corruption investigation public two days later.

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