New Jerseyregulators have relaxed the geolocation buffer zone, the electronic ring fence erected to ensure that players from outside the state are prohibited from gambling for real money at any of its regulated online casinos.

“By allowing us a little bit more flexibility and easing the tolerance in that distance, it made it significantly better in the second and third month,” Brian Mattingley, Chief Executive of 888 Holdings, told Philly.com.

Initially, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement imposed strict specifications on geolocation providers. The result was a fairly large buffer zone that had the effect of locking out gamblers who were legitimately inside the state. Players logging on near the state’s borders along the Hudson and Delaware Rivers were particularly affected.

Casinos were quick to comply with such requirements in order to avoid potentially serious fines. “No one can afford to risk that,” Tobin Prior, CEO of Ultimate Gaming, told the Associated Press. “We would err on the side of caution.”

Many of the same geolocation vendors offering their services in New Jersey have also partnered with Nevada’s online gaming operators. There, Ultimate Gaming has reportedly set up its ring fence about a mile-and-a-half from the state’s borders. But, operators in the geographically smaller and more populous New Jersey don’t have such luxury, as creating such a large buffer zone could potentially block a huge swath of the population.

Even so, the technology is improving and fewer legitimate gamblers are being locked out in New Jersey. In an interview last month with Online Poker Report, Anna Sainsbury, CEO of GeoComply, said that the company is seeing around a 95% success rate. “We’re incredibly pleased with these results, given the benchmark in previous states that went live is significantly lower than that,” she said. “However, we know that is little comfort to the 5% that still have problems.”

For the 5%, the restrictions are extremely frustrating. “The geolocation issues have made New Jersey internet poker an aggravating, miserable experience,” said Two Plus Two user “mrmarcon.”

Others were able to log on, but were constantly booted from the site, potentially forfeiting hands unnecessarily. “If getting disconnected happens to 95% of people who are in New Jersey, why do we have to get tossed off and lose the money that’s in the pot,” said user “pmestric.” “Why punish the players for the site’s inability to detect where we’re playing from?”

In order to verify a user’s location, geolocation vendors use four elements: establishing location through WiFi, IP address, a cell phone carrier, and a method to “tie” a cell phone to a player’s computer.

In order for in-state players to maximize their chances of a successful login, Sainsbury recommends enabling WiFi or using a WiFi adapter, turning off remote desktop programs like LogMeIn, and using a static connection such as your home WiFi network. Regulations don’t currently allow operators to accept players using mobile internet connections.

With the recent easing of the buffer zone, players can likely expect their connection success rate to be increased even further. “We have worked with the geolocation vendors and casinos to enhance the technology to make it more accurate and reliable and to reduce false negatives,” said Kerry Langan, a DGE spokeswoman.

As the industry irons out kinks like geolocation issues, analysts expect that the state’s casinos will see a welcome boost in traffic and revenue.

This week, the DGE released online gambling revenue numbers for February, which showed a 9% increase from January. While poker revenue dropped by 10%, when taking into account the shorter month, the daily average actually increased from $305,195 to $367,857.

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