New Jersey Senator Says ‘We’ve Got a Gun to Our Heads’ With NYC Casinos
Posted on: April 27, 2026, 01:23h.
Last updated on: April 27, 2026, 01:23h.
- Two New Jersey lawmakers have proposed asking state voters to allow casinos outside of Atlantic City
- The Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks are being targeted for casinos
- Three downstate New York casinos are expected to open by 2030
A senator in New Jersey who wants to expand casinos outside of Atlantic City says the state gaming industry faces a grim outlook unless lawmakers act quickly.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 66 proposes allowing slot machines and table games at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks. The legislation suggests that the state ask New Jersey voters to amend the state constitution to allow casinos at the two racetracks, which currently operate parimutuel wagering and sports betting.
We’ve got a gun to our heads. Those gambling dollars that we see in North and Central Jersey are going to go across state lines the second these casinos open,” New Jersey Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), one of two authors of SCR66, told Politico.
By allowing casinos in Bergen and Monmouth counties, Gopal thinks New Jersey can keep most of the gaming tax money the state currently receives from the gaming resorts in Atlantic City.
In 2025, New Jersey collected $216.8 million in casino taxes from the nine physical casinos. The state received $581.9 million in iGaming taxes and $209.1 from sports betting for a total of more than $1 billion.
New York State of Mind
In December 2025, New York approved three full-scale casino resorts in New York City. Two of the properties will be located in Queens, with the third in the Bronx.
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park at Willets Point, Resorts World New York City at the Queens Aqueduct, and Bally’s Bronx at Ferry Point Park are expected to poach some play from Atlantic City, as the properties will be more convenient for people in North Jersey. Gopal and his cosponsor, state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), reason that providing closer in-person gambling options for residents in the more heavily populated central and northern parts of the state is a sound bet.
To satisfy worries that the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park casinos would hurt Atlantic City, Gopal and Sarlo have included a provision in SCR66 that would provide a bit of support for its economic future. SCR66 reads that 10% of the state gaming taxes generated by casinos at Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands go toward “funding for the support of Atlantic City tourism.”
Most of the casino tax (45%) would be set aside for property tax reductions. Twenty percent would be used for special education, 10% would be allocated for the state pension system, and another 10% for cost-of-living adjustments for state employees. The remaining 5% would go to the horse racing industry.
North Jersey Casino Opposition
South Jersey Forward, a nonprofit think tank and advocacy group dedicated to improving the southern part of the Garden State, is leading the opposition to casinos outside of Atlantic City. The organization has launched a website, No North Jersey Casinos, where residents can easily email their legislators to express their opposition to slots and table games at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park.
North Jersey politicians argue that casinos at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park would help us recoup revenue from New York gaming. As we saw from Pennsylvania gaming, the answer isn’t to cannibalize Atlantic City. It’s to help Atlantic City grow, diversify its economy, and tackle crime,” the website states.
“For decades, Atlantic City has been New Jersey’s designated home for casino gaming — a hard-fought arrangement that has generated billions in revenue, tens of thousands of jobs, and a unique economic identity for South Jersey. Expanding casinos to North Jersey threatens all of that,” the campaign said.
Last Comment ( 1 )
And whose fault is that? AC has been poorly run for years and has been in decline for decades. How about diversifying the local economy? Create a product and experience of value in AC that brings people into these resorts. Most of these resorts will close, especially if there are north Jersey casinos. Instead of putting casinos in North jersey, try improving AC. And remember, the NYC casinos are in Queens and the Bronx, locations that people in north jersey don’t want to go to anyway. Be smart and don’t be stupid. Think and think logically.