New Life For New Jersey ''Boutique'' Casinos
By David Madden
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) --- New Jersey toyed with the idea of licensing so-called "boutique" casinos a few years ago. The proposal died after no one applied for a license. Now the idea is being floated again, with some changes.
The measure, which cleared a state senate committee earlier this month, authorizes two smaller gaming facilities that would include a minimum of 200 hotel rooms, rather than aiming for 500.
Existing buildings could house them, rather than new construction. That appeals to the people who manage the Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City.
"There's an opportunity to do much more intimate, smaller, private club-like casinos that could attract a different demographic to the market and create a new kind of product," says Curtis Bashaw, co-owner of the Chelsea Hotel.
If the proposal becomes law, Bashaw says he'll go for a license and open a small casino on the fifth floor of the Chelsea, which now houses 330 hotel rooms and suites.