• July 20, 2017

Nathan economist Alan Meister, Ph.D. recently examined the economic, fiscal, and social impacts of online casino gaming (iGaming) in New Jersey. His analysis figured prominently in the co-authored research report, “Economic Impact of New Jersey Online Gaming: Lessons Learned,” which was released in June. The study, peer reviewed by academics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was commissioned by the iDevelopment & Economics Association (iDEA), a trade association that exclusively represents the interests of the U.S. online gaming industry.

Meister adapted widely accepted economic impact models to analyze data from iGaming operators and public sources, including the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement. The analysis examined the impact on the State of New Jersey’s output, jobs, wages, and tax revenue in 2016, as well as the cumulative impact since New Jersey iGaming’s inception in 2013.

The wide-ranging paper examined numerous other issues such as cannibalization of land-based casinos, fraud and cheating, keeping iGaming within state borders, money laundering, problem gambling, and underage gambling. Dr. Meister and his co-author, Gene Johnson of the gaming consulting firm Victor-Strategies, concluded that “New Jersey’s experience provides valuable lessons for other U.S. states considering iGaming legalization in the future.”

Dr. Meister, who heads Nathan’s Gaming practice, is a recognized authority on the economics of the gaming industry. For over 17 years, Dr. Meister has conducted extensive research and analysis of the industry, including online gaming, in litigation, regulatory, public policy, and business planning and operations matters. His research and analyses have been relied on before the U.S. government, various states, the United States Supreme Court, and the World Trade Organization.

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