State Could Pave Way For Building Bergen County Casino

Constructing casinos in New Jersey outside of Atlantic City moved one step closer to happening Monday with the introduction of legislation sponsored by three state Assembly representatives.

Assembly members Ralph Caputo (D-Essex), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), and Raj Mukkerji (D-Hudson) introduced legislation to allow casinos built in the three counties they represent.

If approved, the legislation would grant the Legislature authority to pass laws required to build the casinos.

“We cannot sit idle any longer,” Caputo, who is chairman of the Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and The Arts Committee, said in a statement. “We can’t bury our head in the sand anymore, because one day we’re going to look up and our gaming dollars will have flocked away to other states.”

Four of the 12 casinos in Atlantic City closed last year and the state’s gambling revenues have decreased $5.2 billion in 2006 to $2.74 billion last year.

Voters would have to amend the state Constitution with a referendum to allow the casinos to be built.

Hard Rock International and Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment plan on revealing their plan this week to construct a casino at the Meadowlands. They said that casino could generate $400 million in tax revenues and create 10,000 much-needed jobs.

“There is no reason why we can’t come up with a statewide gambling plan that brings jobs and economic growth to Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties while also supporting Atlantic City recovery and revitalization efforts,” said Vainieri Huttle, who serves on the committee Caputo chairs.

Governor Christie agrees.

During his weekly radio show on New Jersey 101.5 last week, Christie said building North Jersey casino would be the “right thing to do,” but only if Atlantic City gets a share of the tax revenue.

Meadowlands Racing Chairman Gural previously said that a casino proposed for North Jersey would pay a 55 percent tax rate on winnings. Atlantic City’s remaining eight casinos pay just 8 percent.

Casinos in Pennsylvania and New York have slowly chipped away at New Jersey’s gambling revenues in recent years, which is something that must change, officials said.

“The economic growth that would come from first-class casinos in Bergen, Essex, and Hudson would help the entire state,” Mukkerji said.

Gural also previously said he is “optimistic” that a referendum could be placed on the General Election ballots in November if the Legislature adopts a bill authorizing it by the end of June.

Wikimedia Commons Photo of Caesars in Atlantic City by William Warby