By Frank Scandale @FScandale @TheDailyPayoff
Gov. Chris Christie’s comments on 101.5 radio Wednesday has stirred visions of jackpots in northern New Jersey.
With everything from a poll by NJ.com that showed almost a 60-40 split in favor of a casino in the northern part of the state by Thursday late afternoon to a well-regarded gambling expert in the Garden State agreeing such a casino could be the most lucrative in the country, the governor’s statements fueled more speculation for an upcoming referendum.
“I have absolutely no problem with that question going on the ballot right away,” Christie said on New Jersey 101.5 FM. “The competition’s only going to grow, in New York in particular. And so, if we could plant our flag firmly in the ground, I think it would make the project even more successful.”
His comments came a day after New Jersey Sen. Ray Lesniak, whose district sits in the northern part of the state, said he would push for a referendum in November that would also call for $1 billion in revenue from such a casino to be redirected to South Jersey, according to The Press of Atlantic City. Gov. Christie also said he would approve the ballot measure if it had a component such as the one Lesniak outlined.
And his comments come against the background of an announcement that next Wednesday the Hard Rock International and Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will detail their concept of a Hard Rock Casino in the Meadowlands. The pitch will be a potential of $400 million in annual revenue that would provide tax relief and rebuild Atlantic City, says the HudsonReporter.com
A separate poll by The Press of Atlantic City shows overwhelming opposition to the proposal, with 63 percent against the idea, 21 percent for it as long as revenue gets funneled to the South, and almost 16 percent voting for secession from North Jersey. http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com
The difference in the polls could be explained by the fact that NJ.com draws much of its readership from the central and northern parts of the state. It is affiliated with the Star Ledger, which is based in Newark in the north.
Just how realistic is the concept of a casino or more in North Jersey depends on how serious those with money want to push the issue, according to a state expert from Stockton University, located in the southern part of the state.
“It is true that a pole we did a year ago had far more people who expressed their opinion opposed to the idea,” said Izzy Posner, Executive Director, Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University. “When it comes to these issues, a lot of big money will support one side or the other.”
The Washington Post reported that when Maryland proposed building a casino on the edge of the nation’s capital, approximately $90 million was spent by parties supporting and opposing the measure. Posner sees that scenario shaping up in New Jersey.
At the heart of the debate is the division between North Jersey, which is densely populated and located just miles from New York City, and South Jersey, where Atlantic City casinos reside. As the city and the casino business have battled erosion these last few years, those with interests in the south fear a casino beachhead say in The Meadowlands of Bergen County, would further exacerbate the problem. The olive branch seems to be the redirection of large amounts of northern New Jersey casino revenue to the south, as proposed by Sen. Lesniak and endorsed by the governor.
Posner added: “Many interests will see southern New Jersey as a loser if casino gambling comes to North Jersey. Others see the benefits mitigated by some of tax revenue coming back to South Jersey.”
Currently, a contingent of South Jersey state legislators are expressing opposition, as well.
What Posner does see is a geographic competition ramping up as the fight for gambling dollars becomes more central to states’ economic health.
“You certainly are seeing Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut competing for gamblers. And the comments about a casino in North Jersey possibly being the most successful in the country is not hyperbole, says Posner.
Citing Aqueduct Racetrack’s casino, Resorts World Casino, in Queens, NY, Posner said that casino’s success suggests a fully licensed casino in the Meadowlands in New Jersey, for instance, could set records.
“It’s the most densely populated piece of real estate in the US and one of the most wealthy between North Jersey and Connecticut, so that kind of money would not surprise me,” Posner said.
View additional sources: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/05/poll_do_you_favor_allowing_casinos_being_built_in.html
Hudson Reporter – Hard Rock Casino Meadowlands a possibility