Gaming News

VLTs Won't Hurt Atlantic City

NEW JERSEY – As reported by the North Jersey Record: "Placing 2,000 video lottery terminals at the Meadowlands Racetrack would have only a minimal effect on Atlantic City casino revenues, according to a study commissioned by the Codey administration.

"An executive summary of the report obtained by The Record also concludes that the pending slot-machine boom in southern New York and eastern Pennsylvania -- 47,000 machines may be added within four years to compete with Atlantic City's 43,000 machines -- is the real threat to South Jersey's gambling economy.

"…'The VLT facility envisioned by the state at the Meadowlands will not create, in and of itself, a large and sustained negative impact on Atlantic City gaming,' the report concludes. 'Given that the Meadowlands VLTs would be only a 20-minute drive from the large population of North Jersey and neighboring New York, we estimate that over 70 percent of the new patrons [will] have never or rarely visited the Atlantic City casinos.'

"State Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge, is the primary sponsor of a bill introduced last week that would allow as many as 5,000 VLTs to be installed at the Meadowlands. Operation of those cousins of slot machines would be regulated by the New Jersey Lottery Commission…"

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