Meadowlands News

Gaming Policy Poll Results Released by Meadowlands Regional Chamber

Business leaders in Northern NJ surveyed on the heels of new casino chatter

The Meadowlands Regional Chamber released responses to a questionnaire on gaming policy from ninety-three Northern New Jersey business leaders, 76% of whom felt that the best location for a new casino in New Jersey would be the Meadowlands Sport Complex.

Other questions revealed that while business leaders were aware that gaming had eroded in Atlantic City, only 41% knew that it was off by more than 50%. (Profits have actually declined by 71% over the measured period, with 2013/2014 results about to be reported.)

“Our elected leaders are now acknowledging that the decline of casino gaming revenue and Atlantic City’s transition into a resort destination cannot be solved within their original 5-year timeframe; and despite our business leaders not being fully informed on how dire the situation is, they are ready to address the rich New York Metro area customer base on an immediate basis,” says Jim Kirkos, president of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber.

The survey comes just days after reports emerged of a 95-story hotel and casino prospect in Jersey City – reigniting talk of a casino at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Jersey City’s waterfront finished fourth with 3% of the vote as a preferred prospective casino location while Sussex County/Vernon Valley, which in the 1970s made a bid to establish a casino, was the second choice at 12%. The eleven-question survey poses questions related to both gaming in New Jersey and its neighboring states.

The Chamber plans to use insight gained from the survey to revive a “vision plan” for the redevelopment of the complex – which includes a 130,000+ sq. ft. casino originally issued in 2011.

The Meadowlands Regional Chamber has been advocating since 2010 for the addition of a casino on the Meadowlands site to stimulate economic growth and restore the racing industry. In the wake of neighboring Northeast states popping up casinos and “racinos” along NJ borders and consequently driving players out of state; the chamber conceptualized their vision plan, now seemingly five years ahead of the curve.

The original vision called for a freestanding casino with 100 table games, 3,000 slot positions and an on-site resort-style hotel. Having a multi-venue destination with a convention center, self-sustaining sports complex, harness racing and simulcast betting, and existing mass transit options makes the Meadowlands site a premiere overnight destination, rather than a day player stop.

Despite the direct economic growth impact on both the region and the state of NJ, casino gaming outside of Atlantic City requires an amendment to the state constitution and has been met with resistance by state legislators in recent years. The Meadowlands Regional Chamber’s plan would add both permanent and construction jobs by the thousands and the ability to restore New Jersey’s racing industry and it also fuels a worldwide tourism destination that leverages an opportunity to revitalize Atlantic City. 

Click here to view the results of the survey.

About Meadowlands Regional Chamber and MLCVB
The Meadowlands Regional Chamber has a membership of more than 1,100 businesses and advocates for both economic and destination development. The Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau, a division of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber, is the comprehensive destination-marketing channel for travel to the metropolitan New Jersey region. The MLCVB presents its unique sports, entertainment, ecological, cultural and transportation assets as an emerging primary destination as well as an alternative to New York City to attract new and extended visits. The MRC and the MLCVB played crucial roles in bringing the 2014 Super Bowl to the region, and it continues to lead the public debate surrounding issues that will affect the growth of the region. For more information, please visit the MLCVB at www.mlcvb.com or call 201-939-0707.