Last week, New Jersey authorities announced that they were going to make the laws that have been valid for three years now less strict. They have decided to find alternatives for improving the struggling local economy and attract investors who would be interested in building two small “boutique” casinos on the territory of Atlantic City.
Right after their announcement, the hotel owner Curtis Bashaw said that he would like to establish a casino in his hotel. The future venue is to be located in The Chelsea hotel and although it is not designed to be as spacious and magnificent as the rest similar venues in the vicinity, the venture of Bashaw is regarded as an optimistic indication for improving the situation.
In case Bashaw’s intention for establishing a boutique casino gets realized, the new venue will be the first one to open doors for visitors after the crisis Atlantic City gambling sector has gone through. The year 2012 saw the establishment of Revel and since then, no other casino venue has been founded.
As a matter of fact, the idea of Bashaw is not something local authorities are unfamiliar with. The hotel owner has been insisting on establishing a casino in his property for years but the complicated rules and restrictions the bill contained posed a setback to realizing his intentions.
Bashaw made a brief announcement for a respected media and said that he has been interested in adding gambling facilities to his hotel for a long time but the bill that was put into force three years ago, prevented his plan from developing. He also added that there was no room for establishing a spacious casino but a boutique one is a nice start.
Bashaw raised the question about two of the requirements, the bill, validated three years ago, contained. He disagreed with the requirements investors have to comply with. The first one was that they need to establish a new building where the casino would be located. The second one was that the boutique hotels need to have at least 500 rooms in order to get benefits. Luckily, New Jersey lawmakers realized that these two requirements are not favorable to the local economy and abolished them.
In other words, the boutique casinos can be located in already existing buildings and investors are not obliged to establish a 500-room hotel as well.
The removal of these requirements was what Bashaw has been looking for. Soon after authorities’ announcement, the owner of Chelsea hotel submitted a proposal where his idea for the future boutique casino is presented. At least 25 gaming machines will be available and there is possibility for more facilities to be added.
The owner said that he intends to make the casino an appealing place where one can go and learn how to play or just chill out with friends.
Bashaw is realistic about the development of his casino. He said that his aim is not competing with the big, luxurious Atlantic City-based casino resorts but providing players with new gambling experiences.
