New Jersey casinos outside of Atlantic City are unthinkable, aren’t they? Maybe not. According to an Associated Press article, state lawmakers are currently trying to put together a plan to make exactly this happen.
State Senator Ray Lesniak, perhaps the biggest supporter of online poker in the entire state, and State Senator Joseph Kyrillos urged their fellow elected officials last week to settle on one plan to present to voters. There are currently two competing measures, one in the Senate and one in the Assembly, and the main holdup seems to be which one to move forward.
They are essentially the same plan, authorizing two casinos outside of Atlantic City: one at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford and one in Jersey City, both in northern New Jersey. The two casinos are required to be at least 75 miles away from Atlantic City; both of these locations are well outside that radius.
The difference comes from who would be permitted to own the casinos. The Senate’s plan would mandate that the two casinos be owned by companies who already own current Atlantic City casinos, while the Assembly’s bill only requires one to be owned by a current Atlantic City operator.
Should one plan eventually be agreed upon, it would be put to the voters in a referendum in November 2916. The state constitution only allows for casinos in Atlantic City; in order to change that, state residents would have to weigh in at the ballot boxes.
Atlantic City has been struggling greatly in recent years. Last year, the city saw four of its casinos close, reducing the total number to eight. Competition from neighboring states has drawn customers away, even those from New Jersey who can more easily drive to a casino in another state than to one in Atlantic City. The idea behind putting casinos in northern New Jersey is to give area residents a reason to stay within the state as well as tempt people from across the border to venture out.
But right now, politicians can’t agree on the plan. “Casino expansion will create jobs and generate economic growth for the entire state,” said Lesniak. “This is an opportunity we have to capitalize on. Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature should work together on a plan that can go to the voters for approval on the next ballot in November of 2016.”
Kyrillos added, “The entire Assembly, including Republicans and Monmouth County’s two new Assembly Democrats, need to wake up and join the Senate’s initiative to help save this effort.”
Of course, Assembly leaders think their bill is better, as it serves as a compromise between keeping Atlantic City operators content and serving the needs of the northern part of the state.
“Anyone who walks away from the Assembly bill at this moment is walking away from a strong compromise bill that would bring jobs and economic development to our state and new ideas and competition to our casino industry,” said Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.