Chris Christie Continues to be Adamant: Casino Gambling in Atlantic City Only

Lawmakers in New Jersey want casino gambling a little closer to home for the millions of people who populate the northern portion of that state.  Governor Chris Christie continues to lay down the law, insisting only Atlantic City will play host to casinos there.

Christie’s plan includes a $20 million “Do AC” marketing campaign, tax breaks for developers and state oversight of policing and cleanup, Terrence Dopp of Bloomberg News writes. 

“Atlantic City deserves to have five years to try and get itself revitalized and back on its feet,” Christie told reporters in Trenton on July 19. “Any conversation about extending gaming to the northern part of the state or any place else in this state is simply a waste of time.”

Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, a Democrat from Belleville in Essex County, continues to push for casino gambling at the Meadowlands, which is strategically located just outside New York City in the northern half of New Jersey. 

[Read about a proposal to offer a 'pop up" casino in the Meadowlands during the Super Bowl here]

“We can no longer afford to keep our heads in the sand,” Caputo said. “We must act or risk that New Jersey will become a gambling afterthought.”

The Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, doesn’t need the governor’s approval to put constitutional amendments on the ballot. It does need support from the Senate president, who decides which bills are posted for votes in his chamber, Dopp points out. 

His report can be read in its entirety here. 

- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com