Sweeney, D-Salem, Gloucester, Cumberland, acknowledged the impact North Jersey casinos could have on Atlantic City, saying the city is “more than likely” going to lose jobs.
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Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday announced plans to turn a recently closed prison into a drug treatment facility for inmates and said the state will invest $100 million to raise reimbursement rates for drug and mental health facilities, something that providers have long sought to help address the state’s opioid epidemic.
In the speech, Christie called out a lawmakers’ vote for a constitutional amendment to require quarterly payments to the state’s public workers pension fund. He says that would make New Jersey’s other residents second-class citizens. And if they fail to come up with such plans, both licenses would be offered to any company that is interested in entering the New Jersey gambling market.
It does not specify their locations, but the leading candidates are at the Meadowlands sports complex in East Rutherford and in Jersey City.
But there are some hurdles that would have to be cleared before Sands has to worry.
Last year, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto introduced two separate but very similar bills for the establishment of two casinos in North Jersey. Then the question would be put to voters.
“This makes it more fair for everyone, all the taxpayers, instead of just a handful of casinos”, said Assemblyman Chris Brown, an Atlantic City-area Republican who had suggested numerous changes.
Mr Schwartz notes that the “recent” drop is not the only challenge facing the former #2 gambling destination in the world which began offering casino gaming in 1978 with 1979 being its first full year of operations. “He’ll be back on the campaign trail… but we will be here to figure out how we agree to meet the real and serious problems in the state of New Jersey”.
That didn’t seem to scare Juliano, who said Sands has already built a resort model that will be hard for anyone to compete with. Internet gambling – available to adults who are physically present in the state – rose 21 percent past year to $148.9 million in spite of a decline in online poker play.
And it’s not done building.
Included in the proposal is for revenues to be shared with Atlantic City operators so that loss of business financials can be compensated.
Atlantic City, N.J. • Atlantic City has lost more than half of its casino revenue during the past nine years. Two percent would be set aside for subsidies for the horse racing industry and local and county governments that house the casinos.
“At the end of the day, this could be an $8 billion investment in our economy”, he said.
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He added “this is nothing that they didn’t know wasn’t coming, only someone that has their head buried in the sand could not imagine that something has to be done there, I gave verbal warnings in the past that there had to be dramatic changes in Atlantic City”. “Whatever happens, we’ll be well-positioned to handle it”.
