The Garden State, in a bid to expand its online gambling industry, is examining the option of allowing casino operators to partner with racetracks. The idea is that patrons would be able to visit ‘internet-café’ type facilities at tracks such as Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford and Monmouth Park Racetrack. The specified online gambling areas will allow casino operators to expand their businesses and bring a boost to New Jersey’s gambling industry.
Efforts to expand come after New Jersey residents voted against a proposal to allow the construction of two new casinos in the northern part of the state, in the November referendums.
Lawmakers have now introduced a new bill that would enable New Jersey licensed casino operators to partner with the racing tracks and roll out online gambling opportunities for visitors. The bill proposes that casino operators may lease space from the tracks to offer igaming, and this would boost business for both parties. The state, of course, would benefit from the revenue tax.
The bill, AB 4255, was introduced by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer and would, according to the wording of the proposal, allow “horse tracks to be available for placing wagers at casinos in Atlantic City using the internet.” Dancer’s bill also states that the tracks would be required to “enter into an agreement with a casino located in Atlantic City, or such a casino’s internet gaming affiliate.”
Dancer argues that anyone within New Jersey has the opportunity to play at online gambling sites operated by Atlantic City casinos, and therefore there is no reason to gain voter approval for his bill. However, not everyone is convinced that there is no difference between playing online slots on one’s own mobile device or sitting in a casino-like environment far from Atlantic City.
State Senator Jim Whelan is one of many lawmakers who object to the expansion of online gambling in the state.
“We just had an election on this issue,” he said. “I think the people of New Jersey spoke loud and clear.”
Others are worried that the new bill would affect the number of visitors to Atlantic City. A former South Jersey Transportation Authority executive, Anthony Marino, said that allowing any form of casino-like gaming at the Meadowlands, Freehold or Monmouth Park racetracks would most likely “have a negative impact on visitation numbers in Atlantic City.”
“The rapid rise of internet gaming in New Jersey has already cut into visitor numbers,” he said.
