NYC Casinos Force New Jersey Lawmakers To Consider First Casino Outside AC
New Jersey lawmakers have tabled proposed legislation that would allow some casino gambling outside Atlantic City.
Current rules require all gambling operations, including online casino servers, be hosted within the confines of the state’s gambling mecca.
The new proposals would invite voters to decide, by ballot, whether to allow Meadowlands Racetrack to be expanded to include slot machines.
The racetrack’s position is important because it is only ten miles from the locations of recently approved New York City casinos.
Officials are concerned that the new casinos will encourage New Jersey gamblers to travel out of state, causing a decline in New Jersey’s gambling tax revenue.
However, there are concerns that a new casino outside Atlantic City may reduce existing casino revenue.
Any decision would need voter approval before a new casino could be licensed.
New York’s New Casinos
In 2013, New York approved the issuance of seven casino licenses. Four licenses were granted upstate, but the remaining licenses, which were earmarked for downstate development, were not awarded until last year.
Following intense bidding and heavy scrutiny, three licenses were granted.
Resorts World will expand its existing Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens and is expected to open in the first half of this year. Hard Rock and Bally’s will develop brand new casinos in Queens and the Bronx, respectively.
The developments are expected to cost billions of dollars each, and New York City’s proximity to New Jersey would likely see some New Jersey residents choose NYC casinos over those in Atlantic City.
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Gambling was first approved in New Jersey in 1976. The legislation was passed with voter approval and dictated that any casinos must be housed within the confines of Atlantic City.
Resorts Atlantic City was the first New Jersey casino to open its doors in 1978. Today, nine casinos are operating in the city. In 2011, the state approved the launch of online casinos, but existing legislation necessitates that servers be hosted in Atlantic City.
They can only accept gamblers from New Jersey. The state now has 30 licensed online casinos.
New Jersey’s New Casino
Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment, referred to as The Big M, offers year-round horse racing, including harness and thoroughbred racing.
Open since the 1970s, it has a FanDuel sportsbook on-site and sits on the border of New York City, approximately 125 miles from Atlantic City.
The expansion of the venue, which underwent substantial renovations in 2013, would prevent some of the loss of gambling tax revenue.
New Jersey’s gambling industry is substantial. In 2025, the state enjoyed record revenue, posting $6.98bn across all metrics – a 10.8% annual increase compared to 2024, which itself was a record-breaking year.
While all markets showed an increase, online gambling’s 22% rise was especially noteworthy, as it meant online revenue surpassed retail casino revenue for the first time in the state’s history.
In contrast, land-based casino revenue saw a meagre rise, adding 2.7% to previous figures and reaching $2.89 billion for the year.
