The idea of building a new casino in North Jersey was once rejected by the voters. However, the project now looks more likely than ever amid the push for a new New York City casino. Jeff Gural, Meadowlands Racetrack owner, said that he now wants to revisit the idea of building a $2 billion casino in the racetrack’s backyard.
Gambling on the Rise in New Jersey
New Jersey has always been considered one of the gambling capitals in the US, mostly thanks to Atlantic City’s longstanding presence in the industry. However, the entire sector has evolved over the past decade, and more people in New Jersey are engaging in the activity.
One of the biggest reasons for this is the growing popularity of online casinos. People in New Jersey have access to international platforms that offer numerous perks to players. With casinos offering instant withdrawals and generous bonuses, more and more New Jerseyans are playing online.
Combine this with the ability to play on the go and not be tied to a single physical location, and it’s easy to understand why online play has attracted so much attention lately.
That said, brick-and-mortar casinos still play a major role in the state’s gambling scene. Atlantic City continues to be the primary location for land-based gaming in New Jersey, but North Jersey could now get its casino after the plans for building a Meadowlands Racetrack casino began to resurface.
Plans for Meadowlands Casino Back on the Table
Jeff Gural believes that the timing is right to revisit the casino discussion. The $2 billion project would bring a full-scale casino with table games, slot machines, restaurants, and entertainment to the Meadowlands complex, just 15 minutes from Manhattan.
With New York City making the necessary steps to add three new casinos of its own, Gural argues that New Jersey needs to act fast to stay competitive.
And he’s not alone in this plan. State Senator Joseph Cryan recently introduced a resolution to once again ask voters about the project. They already had a chance to decide whether North Jersey should get a casino of its own in 2016 but the idea was rejected with close to 78% of voters being against it. The new measure would now allow for a public vote as early as 2026.
The situation is different now and this could translate to the results of the public vote. Atlantic City’s casino market is showing more stability and Gural argues that a new casino in North Jersey could generate new jobs and hundreds of millions in annual tax revenue.
NYC Casinos Stir Concern in New Jersey
After long discussions, three new casinos have been proposed in New York City with Coney Island, Times Square, and the Hudson Yards being selected as the leading locations. Each plan comes with massive development plans that include resort-style hotels, entertainment venues, and upscale restaurants.
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen proposed the plans to redevelop a parking lot adjacent to Citi Fields in Queens and has since garnered the support of the city’s council.
For decades, Atlantic City was the only game for gamblers in the area but it now faces competition from several casinos in New York, Philadelphia, and Delaware.
One of the biggest issues New Jersey is facing is the fact that gambling is allowed at racetracks in neighboring states but not in the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park, another potential casino site.
The chief executive officer of Darby Developments, which operates Monmouth Park, Dennis Drazin, said that it may be too early to pass the necessary bill, but that the time is right to start discussions.
Wrap up
It’s still too early to discuss how likely it is for the new proposals to go through in a potential public vote. However, it’s clear that the situation is now a lot different from 2016 and the support for expanding gambling beyond Atlantic City is attracting attention.
