By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
Should New Jersey get two new casinos or three? North Jersey lawmakers pressed their suit to quickly put a referendum on the ballot, letting voters decide whether to expand casino gaming to areas outside of Atlantic City. These Assembly sponsors want up to three casinos — possibly in Hudson, Essex and Bergen counties — to recapture gaming market share.
“Are we gonna stay in the gaming business or not? Those customers that have left our borders have gone to other areas — Pennsylvania and New York. We have to put ourselves in a position to fight to get those dollars back,” said Assemblyman Ralph Caputo.
“This is not about North Jersey, this is about the economic future of New Jersey. We can certainly have a thriving Atlantic City, and we can certainly have successful casinos, whether it’s in Hudson, Bergen or Essex counties,” said Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle.
Two casino projects already loom on drawing boards of North Jersey’s skyline: next to Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, one proposed $4.5 billion megaplex would feature the world’s largest ferris wheel. In Bergen County, developers are betting on a racino — combining horse racing at the Meadowlands with a new Seminole/Hard Rock casino complex — formal plans to be unveiled this week.
“If the voters authorize limited, controlled North Jersey gaming in these three counties, we could realize 20,000 permanent, good paying jobs — maybe 30,000 indirect jobs — and realize billions in additional gross gaming revenues,” said Assemblyman Raj Mukherji.
Sen. Paul Sarlo, meanwhile, would limit gaming expansion “…to two casinos in North Jersey that are at least 100 miles from Atlantic City so we don’t over-saturate the market.” Gov. Chris Christie last week offered to support North Jersey casinos. But two Atlantic City legislators consider the optimum number of North Jersey casinos to be exactly zero.
“We lost 8,000 in 2014. Now you put casinos in North Jersey. How many more we gonna lose? Another 5,000? That’s a big question mark. They have their interests up north, I have my interest down south, and that’s the way I’m standing on it,” said Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo.
“The only thing a North Jersey casino will do is cannibalize Atlantic City so that ultimately the state receives less revenue than it does now,” said Assemblyman Chris Brown.
Many analysts do concur — existing Atlantic City venues would lose gamblers to any new casinos.
“It’s gonna continue to erode because there’s only a finite number of gamers out there and that tide will continue to lower for everybody,” said James Wood, CEO of Meet AC.
To overcome southern opposition, northern casino proponents would sweeten the pot with enabling legislation that’d direct millions in gaming revenues south to help revitalize Atlantic City. They’d also give laid-off Atlantic City casino workers preferential hiring at any new North Jersey gaming halls.
“Everybody knows to survive in anything, you have to adapt. If you don’t adapt, you become extinct, and you become a dinosaur,” Caputo said.
The bill doesn’t set a referendum date. Caputo says he would prefer this November, but will leave that call up to legislative leaders.