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New Jersey casinos lose advocate

ATLANTIC CITY , New Jersey – As reported by the Press of Atlantic City: "He has been the guardian angel and political patron of the casino industry.

"Arguably, he's been just as important to the industry as Donald Trump, Steve Wynn or any other gaming executive who has been part of Atlantic City's casino scene since legalized gambling began in 1978.

"But state Sen. Bill Gormley's retirement, announced Wednesday, leaves the casinos without their chief advocate, and no one is sure who will assume his role as their champion in Trenton.

"…In the past three decades, Gormley, an Atlantic County Republican, was the architect of legislation that helped the casinos grow into a $5 billion-a-year enterprise and turned a once-dying resort town into a thriving tourism center.

"Brash and combative, Gormley often battled powerful gaming executives like Trump over Atlantic City development projects, but would usually side with the industry when the chips were down.

"…Gormley's development schemes benefiting the casinos often involved multifaceted legislation that created unlikely alliances with political rivals throughout the state.

"…His crowning achievement may have been a $175 million CRDA fund that has helped the casinos build thousands of new hotel rooms…"

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