Growing buzz around the potential of casinos outside of Atlantic City has put South Jersey leaders on alert, and on Friday, they signed a strong letter promising to put the kibosh on the idea.
In a bipartisan letter to Gov. Mikie Sherrill and state legislative leaders of both parties, dozens of South Jersey elected officials said they will battle against a proposal that could give voters the chance to approve new casinos in Bergen and Monmouth counties. They argue the proposal is a “solution looking for a problem,” and that any economic benefit of the new casinos would be nullified by the harm done to South Jersey.
Three members of Congress and 34 state legislators signed the letter. Reps. Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), and Herb Conaway (D-Delran) led the letter, and Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees) and the bipartisan delegation of the 2nd legislative district, which contains Atlantic City, are signatories.
Seven lawmakers from Ocean County sided with Atlantic City over Monmouth by signing the letter.
More gaming outside the tightly controlled and regulated Atlantic City structure, which has decades of experience, can only increase the problematic and less regulated gambling that we are seeing affect so many young people today. The real dangers expanded gaming presents is why, if supporters of expanded gaming outside of Atlantic City, insist on moving forward against the public’s clear desires, it cannot be done through last minute backroom deals, an opaque legislative process or inclusion at the last minute in the complicated budget process.”
State Sens. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) and Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) introduced legislation that could put a constitutional amendment on the ballot as soon as this year. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office is listening to the proposal but hasn’t committed to a course of action.
Their legislation would allow casinos to open at two horse racetracks, the Meadowlands in Bergen County and Monmouth Park in Monmouth County. With New York set to open casinos downstate, some officials worry those projects could cost the state gambling revenue, and the operators of those horse tracks have pitched a campaign to expand the Garden State’s casino footprint.
Instead of building new casinos, the letter’s authors argue the state should develop a plan to build Atlantic City into a family resort where gaming is one of a broad array of amenities.
“There can be no doubt there’s been neglect of the type of investment the city and its residents need and deserve,” they wrote. “We look forward to working with all of you to develop a comprehensive plan to make Atlantic City the destination we all know it can be.”
New Jersey last seriously considered allowing casinos outside of Atlantic City in 2016. When a ballot question for the proposal went before voters that year, voters denied it in a 77%-23% landslide. Not a single county voted in favor.
The letter says another attempt to install casinos outside of Atlantic City would disregard the voters of that election.
“New Jersey has serious challenges and our time as elected officials would be better spent focusing on issues that matter to the people we represent, not well heeled special interests who want to expand gaming in defiance of the clear will of Monmouth and Bergen County voters who rejected expanded gaming by a devastating margin of 25-75,” they wrote.
And if the legislation does see a vote, the officials, including many allies of South Jersey power broker George Norcross III, promised to deliver defeat once again.
“We hope that the threatened legislation does not come to a vote. If it does, we will work to defeat it in Trenton and at ballot boxes, just as we did the last time this bad idea was put to a vote a decade ago. We are not just ‘no’ votes, but ‘hell no’ to expanded gaming in New Jersey.”
The full list of signatories:
U.S. Reps. Reps. Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), and Herb Conaway (D-Delran)
LD-1: Sen. Michael Testa, Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, Assemblyman Erik Simonsen
LD-2: Senator Vince Polistina, Assemblyman Don Guardian, Assemblywoman Maureen Rowan
LD-3: Senator John Burzichelli, Assemblywoman Heather Simmons, Assemblyman Dave Bailey Jr.
LD-4: Senator Paul Moriarty, Assemblyman Dan Hutchison, Assemblyman Cody Miller
LD-5: Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, Assemblyman William Spearman, Assemblyman William Moen Jr.
LD-6: Senator James Beach, Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, Assemblywoman Melinda Kane
LD-7: Senator Troy Singleton, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, Assemblyman Balvir Singh
LD-8: Senator Latham Tiver, Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, Assemblyman Anthony Angelozzi
LD-9: Senator Carmen Amato, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, Assemblyman Gregory Myhre
LD-10: Senator James Holzapfel, Assemblyman Gregory McGuckin, Assemblyman Paul Kanitra
LD-30: Senator Robert Singer
