Atlantic City casinos are talking to online gambling software companies, it has been reported. According to the Atlantic City Weekly, land-based casinos in New Jersey have been having talks with undisclosed companies that design software for online casinos.

It’s easy to guess the topic of conversation. The Atlantic City casinos think that UIGEA may be repealed and online gambling may be legalized and regulated in the United States. If that happens, the casinos want to join the online gambling market and preferably a deal in place with the software designers so they can immediately start offering online casinos.

Mark Juliano, President of the New Jersey Casino Association, recently testified that the casinos are “working with software programs to provide a mode for online poker rooms and casino games and we’re obviously watching the legislation on this very carefully.”

The legislation he referred to is the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would repeal UIGEA and legalize and regulate online gambling. Though the bill easily passed the Financial Services Committee, for a variety of reasons many think that the bill becoming law this year would be a long-shot. However, businesses can’t afford to wait and see what happens. Plans need to be in place in the event that the bill is passed and that seems to be exactly what the Atlantic City casinos are doing.

Of the obstacles facing the passage of online gambling legislation in the United States, the largest are a quickly approaching deadline and amendments tacked onto the bill.

Tags: Atlantic Cirty casinos, Atlantic City Weekly, casino software, Internet Gambling, New Jersey casinos, Online Casino, UIGEA, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act