It is well known that Atlantic City has been struggling for years. Lawmakers authorized online gambling around a year ago to help stop the bleeding, and some are still fighting tooth and nail for sports betting at gambling facilities in the Garden State. Now, there’s an additional plan in the works for possible gambling expansion in New Jersey.
According to the Associated Press, the head of a state Assembly panel is advocating for a study of whether casino gambling should be allowed at the Meadowlands sports complex.
The politician is Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, an Essex County Democrat. A hearing was held this week on the topic, but there wasn’t a vote. Gov. Chris Christie reportedly said in the past that he would give Atlantic City some time to recover, but if it failed he would explore the possibility of allowing brick-and-mortar casinos elsewhere in the Garden State.
Right now, anyone 21 and older in the state can turn their laptop into more or less a casino. There are discussions — in the form of an actual bill — of trying to turn Atlantic City into a hub for online gambling by enticing foreign firms to set up shop in the town.
Atlantic City had gaming revenue of more than $5 billion in 2006, but since then has slipped to under $3 billion. One casino recently closed its doors thanks to poor performance.
There are currently 11 casinos in Atlantic City.
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/16848-nj-considers-casino-outside-of-atlantic-city
