“We’ve never been this close to Internet gaming. We’ve talked about it for 10 years. And we’re closer than ever to sports betting. It certainly takes New Jersey outside traditional gaming and puts us at the forefront of the initiatives that can change the dynamics of our jurisdiction,” — veteran gaming attorney Lloyd D. Levenson.
Better stick that rhetoric back in your briefcase, Lloyd. The long odds facing Atlantic City got a bit longer this weekend with the release of a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll that shows 58% opposition to Internet betting, even if run by reputable Boardwalk casinos. With only 31% support, this looks like a dead duck for several election cycles to come. Both state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D, right) and Gov. Chris Christie (R) would be wasting political capital if they took this issue to the polls. Sports betting is one thing to the Garden State electorate — and inarguably essential to Atlantic City’s survival — but ‘Net bets are a bridge to far for the public to cross.
As for the early performance of Revel, if we look six months 
down the road, one of two things will have happened and yet the result will probably be the same. If Revel fails to move the needle (remember how CityCenter was supposed to bump Vegas tourism 5%-7%?), the Boardwalk will be declared a lost cause and there will be a clamor by legislators — mostly Democrats — for racinos and a Class III casino at the Meadowlands. If Revel does raise Atlantic City’s overall performance, the crisis will be said to have been passed, everything is hunky-dory and there will be a clamor by legislators for racinos and … you get the picture.
Revel will be the center of attention for the 600-odd attendees of the East Coast Gaming Conference. Hopefully the megaresort will take their minds off those poll numbers and the fact that they got stood up by Christie. Instead, he’ll be sending scandal-beclouded Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R, right), for whom this will be an awkward moment to raise her public profile.
There was good news, however, for Ameristar Casinos, whose chances in Massachusetts took another step forward. Springfield is not only Ameristar’s site of choice, it is the home of Bruce Stebbins, a former city councilman and current member of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. If a Springfield casino proposal comes before the MGC, Stebbins does not plan to recuse himself and freely admits he might feel a certain home-town bias. Mayors of rival cities are split on whether they’re OK with that or not. And Stebbins’ candor might not redound solely to Ameristar’s benefit. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno thinks a couple more gaming operators might step across the transom eventually.
Since licenses may not be awarded until 2014, Stebbins’ divided loyalties aren’t a pressing concern. They didn’t arise during his vetting process, but — as we’ve seen from last week’s sex scandal — screening staffers isn’t the MGC’s strong point.
The double dipping happens so often in this state, from the pension issues in that article to well connected cronies holding 2, 3, even 4 government jobs for which they get paid a full salary, that I don’t think many people are surprised, let alone outraged.
I crack up every time there is some sort of “deal” in N.J., whether it be the casinos subsidizing the race tracks or legislation that essentially kills the chances of racinos or a Governor or Senate President that claims that racinos will not happen … that the Dems in N.J. still push, push and push for racinos and/or all-out gaming at the Meadowlands! Your observations are spot-on.
Headed to Revel for a three-day weekend this weekend. Hopefully it has ramped up substantially since the last time I was there.