\nATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) \u2013 Sure you love matching little candy pieces with each other, or spelling out words with your pals. But New Jersey gambling regulators want to let you do it for real money.<\/p>\n
\tThe state Division of Gaming Enforcement says it is seeking game developers\u2019 proposals to conduct real-money gambling on skill-based games, which would make New Jersey a nationwide laboratory for a betting phenomenon many have predicted will become the next big thing.<\/p>\n
\tAnd because of its vast potential reach, some are worried that the addictive nature of the games and their easy availability on smartphones and tablets could cause some people to get in way over their heads when the money is real. But New Jersey sees it as another way to help its struggling casino industry.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cMore and more we\u2019ve been watching the social gaming arena and hearing about the opportunities it presents,\u201d said David Rebuck, director of New Jersey\u2019s Division of Gaming Enforcement. \u201cWe thought, \u2018Wait a minute: why aren\u2019t these companies coming to us?\u2019 We are ready, willing and able, under existing law, to deal with this. This is not theoretical anymore; this is real.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tEric Meyerhofer, CEO of Gamblit Gaming, which adds gambling components to familiar social games, says the potential market in the United States for such betting is $8 billion to $10 billion.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cCasual games are played in such abundance across such a wide demographic,\u201d he said. \u201cWe think there\u2019s quite a large market for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPlayers could face off against one another to compete for a prize, with the casino taking a fixed percentage of it.<\/p>\n
\tGame developers would have to partner with one of Atlantic City\u2019s eight casinos, in the same way that Internet gambling providers must do. And like online gamblers, players of real-money skill games must be physically located within New Jersey\u2019s borders. (New Jersey can approach other jurisdictions about multi-state gambling compacts if there\u2019s enough interest.) Nevada is considering a similar plan, and other countries including England and Mexico are testing similar technology.<\/p>\n
\tCurrently, most games offer free play up to certain limits. From there, players can buy additional chances to play or equipment to use in the game. Ashley Feinberg, a staff writer at Gizmodo.com, quickly burned through $286 in less than a month buying additional play time on Candy Crush Saga.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt\u2019s all very high-reward; you get sucked in and there\u2019s this big reward and then it goes away and you keep trying to get it back,\u201d she said. \u201cUnless you actually seek out how much you\u2019re actually spending on this, it goes like nothing. It feels like Monopoly money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tAfter writing her first-person account, Feinberg kicked the habit \u2013 for a while.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThen it went back downhill,\u201d she said, adding she doesn\u2019t know how much the second binge has cost her.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI\u2019m scared to look,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\tGary Loveman, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, has long lamented that people spend millions of dollars on games like Farmville \u2013 where they buy equipment for a virtual farm \u2013 with none of that money going to his company.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cMillennials typically find traditional slot machines boring because there\u2019s little or no skill involved; they\u2019d much rather play games were there\u2019s an element of skill and the opportunity to socialize or compete with friends while doing so,\u201d said Caesars spokesman Gary Thompson. \u201cIt\u2019s clear skill-based games are going to be a big part of the industry\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tLes Bernal, national director of Stop Predatory Gambling, is worried New Jersey could be creating a new generation of problem gamblers.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cState officials know the future of New Jersey\u2019s casinos hinges on luring kids to develop a gambling habit,\u201d he said, adding that by taking games that thousands of young people already play and turning them into gambling games, the state is trying to create a new generation of gamblers to exploit.<\/p>\n
\tPlayers would fund an account that would be good for in-person play on a casino floor, or remotely via a smartphone, tablet or computer. While details still need to be worked out, the games have to meet complex rules incorporating minimum payout standards that apply to slot machines, while also providing for the variable element of player skill.<\/p>\n
\tSo far, some of the biggest names are taking a pass. Zynga, which makes Words With Friends, has said it doesn\u2019t favor real-money gambling on its platforms, preferring to focus on free-play. King Digital Entertainment, the makers of Candy Crush Saga, said it \u201cdoes not have any plans to license Candy Crush Saga or any of our other games for use in casino slot machines or for any form of gambling.\u201d<\/p>\n
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