Debates on which one of two New Jersey casino expansion bills to be adopted by the state Legislature have become even more heated since Friday, when Gov. Chris Christie expressed his support for the Senate-backed proposal.
And on Sunday, that same proposal was supported by Atlantic City’s main casino workers union. Members of Local 54 of the UNITE HERE labor union said that the Senate-sponsored bill would do more to limit the negative impacts of the in-state competition the once-popular gambling destination would face when new gambling venues open doors.
The said bill was proposed by Senate President Stephen Sweeney and calls for the establishment of two new full-scale casinos in North Jersey. A separate bill, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, also calls for the construction of two gambling venues in the northern part of the state. The two proposals, however, differ in a provision concerned with who should run the two new casinos.
Under Sen. Sweeney’s plan, both venues should be operated by companies that have already been providing their services in Atlantic City. As for the Assembly-backed bill, it calls for one of the casinos to be managed by an Atlantic City-based operator and the other to be run by a new company, with gambling giant Wynn Resorts already being among those to express interest in entering the New Jersey market.
Assembly Speaker Prieto said on Friday that he would not support the Senate bill. A vote on which one of the two proposals would be put before voters at the November ballot is to be held later today. And the legislative session is set to end tomorrow. Commenting on Mr. Prieto’s reaction, Sen. Sweeney said that if no agreement is reached before Tuesday, the potential expansion of the state gambling industry outside Atlantic City may be “dead.”
Jersey City and the existing Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford are the most broadly discussed possible locations for the two new casinos. Commenting on the heated debates on which one of the two proposed legislations should be adopted, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop told media that he hopes legislative leaders would make the necessary compromises in order to find a solution that would work equally well for all involved parties.
Bob McDevitt, President of Local 54 of the UNITE HERE labor union, said that they are against the casino expansion outside Atlantic City as this would have quite a negative effect on the city’s casino industry and the people who work at local casinos. In 2014, four of Atlantic City’s twelve casinos closed doors and more than 8,000 workers lost their jobs.
Mr. McDevitt pointed out that the Senate-backed bill would do less damage to the remaining gambling venues as it takes into account the impact the new casinos would have. What is more, Sen. Sweeney’s bill contains a provision, under which half of the revenue the North Jersey facilities generate would go to Atlantic City as a means to boost its struggling casino industry.
