Law Makers Want to Expand Online Gambling With A New Bill
The New Jersey lawmakers are continuing to search for new ways to encourage the state’s gambling industry a boost, this was after the voters rejected the referendum with regards to approving casinos outside Atlantic City during this past November.
The New Jersey’s gambling industry has experienced a decline that can be attributed to the growing ‘out-of-state’ competition on the online gambling market.
Also, MGM National Harbor Resort and Casino, that opened their doors in Maryland, December 8, 2016, is expected to place further pressure on the struggling gambling market in New Jersey.
The result of this means that the lawmakers in the state proposed a new bill to allow existing casino operators go into partnership with the Monmouth Park Racetrack at Oceanport and Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment in East Rutherford. The aim if this is to introduce specified areas that are inside the two racetracks who offer online gambling.
These online gambling centers will be known as internet cafes and they are expected to boost revenues of the horse-racing industry which is in decline in New Jersey at the same time enabling the web-based casinos to able to legally offer their online gambling operations on the racetracks.
Local market analyst and the former executive of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, Anthony Marino, remains sceptical about the introduction of the new bill and that it will bring about the desired results. According to Mr. Marino, he said that the increased gambling opportunities within New Jersey would lead to a drop in the number of people that visit the casino resorts in Atlantic City.
The Atlantic City’s, Expressway’s Pleasantville Toll Plaza, serves as an indicator of the number of people that visit the resort. And according to the reports, the number of motor vehicles that passed through the toll plaza during 2009 exceeded 23.9 million. However the past few years, this number has declined and during 2015 it stood at 18.5 million vehicles.
If this new bill is passed, then New Jersey racetracks will be able to lease space to the casino operators, specifically designated for online gambling activities.
Dennis Drazin, who is the adviser to the Monmouth Park, believes that this could work to the advantage of both the casino operators and the racetracks. According to Mr. Drazin, these so-called internet cafes could provide the casinos with the opportunity for expanding their business. The adviser has also disclosed that he had already been approached by a couple of the casino operators, however, he declined to reveal their names.
The Casino Association of New Jersey has as yet to make comments on the proposal. This comes as a result of New Jersey lawmakers’ efforts at expanding gaming beyond Atlantic City without a referendum.
Assemblyman, Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, is currently looking at introducing video lottery machines at the racetracks, this is based on a ruling by the former Attorney General, Irwin Kimmelman, during 1982, lottery terminals don’t require a public referendum.
