Atlantic City will keep its monopoly on New Jersey's gambling industry. Voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have added two new casino sites in the northern part of the state.
The results are a rare win for the struggling seaside resort town, which has met repeated disappointment in recent years as casinos have closed and pushed the city into a fiscal crisis.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, polling showed the measure headed for defeat. With about half of precincts reporting on Tuesday night, results showed the referendum failing 78 percent to 22 percent.
Although the measure said about one-third of any new casino revenue would have gone to Atlantic City for 15 years for economic revitalization, opponents said they doubted the revenue-sharing proposal would generate enough money to make a difference. Opponents included casino worker unions and Atlantic City-area stakeholders.
A proposal to end Atlantic City’s casino monopoly in New Jersey would spell the end for the struggling seaside resort town. At least that's what opponents of the idea say.
Backers of the ballot measure, however, say it's the city's best hope for revitalizing its downtown and diversifying its economy beyond gaming.
This November, New Jersey voters will decide whether to allow two new casinos to be built in the state. About one-third of any new casino revenue would go to Atlantic City for 15 years for economic revitalization.
The vote comes as Atlantic City, once the East Coast’s gaming capital, has struggled in the face of increased competition in neighboring states. In the past 15 years, more than a dozen casinos have opened in Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania