New Jersey Again Considers Legalizing Casinos Outside Atlantic City

A decade after New Jersey voters rejected a proposal to expand casino gaming outside of Atlantic City, a new push is under way to permit two large casinos in northern New Jersey, driven by the prospect of significant new competition just across the river in New York.

A proposal sponsored by two influential Democratic lawmakers, Senators Vin Gopal and Paul Sarlo, calls for a constitutional amendment to be put to voters in the fall. 

Should it be approved by voters, it would open the door for casinos at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford and Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, where gambling on sports betting is already legal.

This renewed effort is in direct response to New York City's planned opening of three new multibillion-dollar casinos, one of which is an $8billion Hard Rock facility being built near Citi Field in Queens, just 20 miles from the Meadowlands. 

"We're not going to sit back and do nothing while they're opening casinos that could take our business," lawmakers and track owners said.

This action immediately sparked a contentious regional political battle. 

The lawmakers from South Jersey, who have traditionally been charged with protecting the monopoly in Atlantic City, are now organizing against the legislation.

In addition, the owners of the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks have begun lobbying state officials to address concerns now being felt in Atlantic City's gaming industry.

According to Jeff Gural, managing partner of the Meadowlands Group, the group’s goal is to partner with the Atlantic City Gaming Industry and devise a plan that best protects both parties. 

It believes that the casinos in New York will be most affected by the plan, rather than those in Atlantic City.

Governor Mikie Sherrill’s administration appears to have taken a very cautious and methodical stance regarding this topic. 

A representative from the governor’s office did not respond to media inquiries about this issue. 

However, anonymous sources who have discussed the subject with individuals within the administration report that the administration is open to exploring and obtaining as much information as possible about this proposal.

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The path to approval is a difficult one. Any change to the state constitution requires a referendum, and the cloud of the 2016 referendum still hangs over the process. 

In that election, voters rejected a similar measure by an astonishing 4-1 margin, a result that even surprised some political pundits, including former Governor Chris Christie.

Christie, now a consultant for the American Gaming Association, has expressed concern about whether the public interest in casino gaming has changed. 

His concern is that New Jersey residents have been comfortable with gaming limited to Atlantic City, and that the addition of gaming in New York will not affect the seaside resort.

Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, an ally of powerful South Jersey politician George E Norcross III, admitted that an idea of this magnitude deserves discussion, but many questions remain unanswered. The question he posed was about the scope, revenues and overall effect.

As New York begins to move forward with its casino gaming plans, New Jersey once again stands at a familiar crossroads. 

The next few months will show if the climate has changed enough to bring together the disparate factions that have kept casino gaming relegated to the boardwalk in Atlantic City for nearly five decades.

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