genting buys in ny and nj but people in manhatttan will ealk on water rather than take the a train to malaysia st aqueduct
take our money please new jersey and give us another reason to visit nj to replace the lure of cheap gas!
Poll: N.J. voters largely reject North Jersey casino expansion
A majority of New Jersey registered voters, some 70 percent, oppose the upcoming ballot referendum plan to expand casino gaming in the state to northern New Jersey, according to a new Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind Poll released Monday.
The poll found that just 24 percent say they will vote yes on the question. Opposition to the idea is up from July, when another PublicMind Poll found that 58 percent of residents rejected the referendum.
“This is an issue we’ve been polling on for years, and there has never been broad and deep support for allowing casinos to expand beyond Atlantic City,” said poll director and FDU professor Krista Jenkins. “It’s no surprise, then, that backers of the amendment are having a hard time selling the idea to voters.”
In March, the state Legislature voted to place a referendum on the November ballot calling for two new gaming permits to go to planned casinos in separate counties located at least 75 miles away from Atlantic City. Only currently licensed operators in New Jersey will be eligible to apply for a new permit and must commit to a guaranteed $1 billion capital investment for each project.
One-third of generated revenues are slated to go back to Atlantic City for revitalization purposes.
As for their reasons, some 36 percent of voters said they believe the state already has an adequate number of casinos and another 26 percent said they were concerned that expansion might harm Atlantic City.
Regardless, 53 percent of voters said the ballot question is making them pay attention to Atlantic City-related matters.
“Atlantic City has finally seen a benefit from its financial woes,” said former casino executive and FDU International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management lecturer Donald Hoover. “The total lack of support for the casino expansion amendment may be due to the vast media coverage in the last several months surrounding a potential state takeover of Atlantic City. The aggressive media campaign against additional casinos in the northern part of the state most likely influenced increased opposition to the amendment.”
The poll also examined the recent plan to raise the state’s gas tax by 23 cents per gallon, finding that while 53 percent of voters opposed the hike, 46 percent are in favor of a separate ballot question that aims to dedicate raised revenues to the Transportation Trust Fund.
“This is an issue that is being closely watched,” Jenkins said. “Almost two-thirds of registered voters are following news about the gas tax amendment with some degree of attentiveness. People appear torn between how much pain they want to endure financially in order to offset the pain they feel on our roads and bridges, many of which are in desperate need of repair.”
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