ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) – A new poll released Thursday shows that trying to predict whether voters will approve casinos in the northern part of the state is a crapshoot.
The Monmouth University poll shows voters evenly divided on whether to authorize construction of two new casinos near New York City, with 48 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed.
Northern New Jersey voters largely support the idea, which will be decided by a ballot question in November. Voters in central and southern New Jersey largely oppose it.
The poll also finds that most residents feel that state government should stay out of Atlantic City, and they are divided on whether a potential state takeover would help or hurt Atlantic City residents.
“The fate of the casino expansion measure is anyone’s guess,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “The public does not express overwhelming confidence that adding North Jersey casinos will be an economic boon, and there is widespread concern that this would hurt an already precarious Atlantic City.”
The ballot measure does not specify locations, but the two most frequently mentioned proposals are at the Meadowlands sports complex in East Rutherford, where racetrack operator Jeff Gural and Hard Rock International propose a casino, and in Jersey City, where footwear magnate Paul Fireman proposes a casino resort costing up to $5 billion.
The telephone poll of 806 adults conducted from May 23 to 27 has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
North Jersey voters approve of casino expansion by a margin of 52 percent to 43 percent, while voters elsewhere in the state are opposed. In central New Jersey, 52 percent are opposed and 45 percent are in favor, and in southern New Jersey, 54 percent are against it while 42 percent favor it.
The poll also found that 59 percent believe expanding casinos to other parts of the state will hurt Atlantic City. The new casinos would have to contribute part of their revenues to help Atlantic City.
Respondents said that expanding casino gambling to the northern part of the state will bring some economic benefits to the state overall: 12 percent said it will help the state’s economy a great deal, while 42 believe it will help somewhat.
Despite Atlantic City’s financial woes (It was on the verge of going broke before the state passed a rescue package last month.), 51 percent said the state should not get involved in improving the city’s economy, compared with 42 who support it. Atlantic City has five months to come up with a fiscal turnaround plan acceptable to the state to avoid a takeover.
___
Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
