Christie Backs Referendum To Expand Gambling To North Jersey
LINDEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is backing a referendum on expanding gambling beyond Atlantic City.
CBS2's Steve Langford reports voters will decide this fall on whether to allow gambling in North Jersey.
"To say that somehow we could be some island unto ourselves and say, well, we're just going to keep things in Atlantic City, not going to expand to another part of the state where there's greater population and also greater competition now from Pennsylvania and from New York, I think New Jersey has to get into the business," Christie said.
CBS2 reports one of the proposals calls for a $4 billion casino, hotel and entertainment project in Jersey City. The other major proposal is a casino at the Meadowlands which will feature a rock n' roll museum.
"We're talking thousands and thousands of jobs and a big economic impact," Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, one of the sponsors of the law to expand gambling in the state, told CBS2.
Caputo added, "If you're in the convenience area, where you're getting 25 or 30 million people with the income to support it, they become very successful."
However, some Jersey City residents told CBS2 they would not be fans of a casino in their backyard.
"I don't support that, especially not around here," one man said.
Another person told CBS2, "You have Atlantic City. I mean, it's just going to be a lot of trouble, I think."
Christie said a yes vote on gambling is part of his agenda this fall.
"I'll campaign for it coming into the fall and let the voters of the state know what my view is and then they get to make the call," the governor said.
The plan includes sending a portion of the revenues from new casinos in North Jersey to help support Atlantic City itself.
