Voters Against North Jersey Casino Expansion, Poll Shows

The number of residents who support bringing casinos to North Jersey has decreased, a poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University shows.

Results from a statewide survey form the university's PublicMind market research agency show that just 35 percent of respondents are currently in favor of a proposed amendment that would allow two North Jersey counties to each have one casino.

The same number, 35 percent, support casino expansion, "more generally when it is not tied to a specific amendment," the PublicMind poll results show.

In January, 42 percent of people said they supported expanding casino gambling to other areas in the state beyond Atlantic City, according to the results of another survey. Opposition was consistent among Republicans and Democrats, men and women, and all other demographic groups.

• Related: State Could Pave Way For Building New Casinos

Fifty-seven percent of respondents oppose the amendment, a slight change from the 58 percent who said they were opposed in January.

"Support for casino expansion is about where it was in 2015,” said Krista Jenkins, professor of political science and director of PublicMind. “Getting people to a casino first seems to help drive support. But even among those who have dropped some chips on a table or coins into a machine, a majority are opposed to expansion beyond Atlantic City.”

The effort to approve a Constitutional amendment required to bring casinos north now appears to be an uphill battle. It is the first such vote to take place in the Garden State since Atlantic City was granted monopoly on casinos 40 years ago.

The amendment requires that tax revenue from any North Jersey be shared among the eight remaining Atlantic City casinos.

The state Senate and Assembly — with votes of 34-6 and 54-16, respectively — approved putting the referendum question on the ballot. The casinos must be located at least 72 miles from Atlantic City and have an initial investment of $1 billion each.

Moody's Investor Service said North Jersey casinos could be up and running by the end of 2019 if the referendum is approved Nov. 8. They could be "much larger" and possibly better in terms of quality than Atlantic City's biggest casino, the Borgata.

Lawmakers have pegged the Meadowlands as the most likest destination for one of the casinos. Another possible landing spot is the $5 billion American Dream Meadowlands. According to state Senate President Steve Sweeney, developer Triple Five is eager to submit a proposal for a casino to the project’s already impressive footprint. Newark have been mentioned as other possible landing sites.

Efforts were made to get a referendum on the ballot last November, but the deadline for legislators to approve it passed with no action.

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Photo: Antoine Taveneaux, used with permission via Wikimedia Commons