Legalizing Gambling at the New Meadowlands? Thoughts?
Let’s imagine the New Meadowlands in 2015. Over the last few years, the biggest controversial project to go up was Xanadu. Recently renamed “Meadowlands” by newest savior Steve Ross of Related Group, the Meadowlands is due for some major visual changes. First, is the demolition of the old Giants Stadium. Next, in my opinion would be the demolition of the race track, a big money loser. At least get creative and bring it out of the red. Then you have the arena where some hoops team plays.
Imagine this: Xanadu finally opens in mid 2011 and draws in record crowds. Tailgating and football Sundays is entirely recreated on this site as the biggest “fun day” in New Jersey. Revenues would soar and thousands of jobs would be created. No retail open on Sundays? That will change with all of this. I guarantee it.
Say hello to Paul Sarlo. He’s a state senator who represents the Meadowlands region. He also happens to be the mayor of a nearby town, Wood-Ridge. He is also admittedly not a casino guy. But he understands the gigantic benefits that NJ could inherit by legalizing gambling at the New Meadowlands. New Jersey’s $39 million deficit would be much easier to remediate as a result. Additionally, re-doing the economics on how the Giants/Jets pay revenues to NJ would do the same. If you don’t know the story behind it, let’s just say that they should have forked over boatloads of cash to the state over the last few years.
Legalizing casinos would make the New Meadowlands one of the most visited destinations in the country, if not the world. Imagine the travel packages you could put together if casinos were built. Vegas would seem like a 2 star vacation destination. Imagine the New Meadowlands amenitized with Xanadu, a couple casionos, Sports, Concerts, Race track betting, etc, all with Midtown Manhattan within a 15 minute bus/train tride…Hoboken within 10 minutes. Yes I said Hoboken, rated by CNN as the number one area in the country for single men over 30. No need for rental cars or cabs. Now slowly bring in sports betting. LOL! If that happened, everyone that voted YES to legalize sports gambling at Meadowlands would get whacked within weeks! For the sake of surviving, sports gambling will never ever happen.
Sarlo says a Meadowlands casino-hotel would help New Jersey compete with casinos in Pennsylvania and Connecticut – and bring in huge profits. Maybe so. But what about draining away customers from Atlantic City? And what about the idea of using public land in the Meadowlands for gambling?
“We’re not talking a row of casinos here,” Sarlo says. “This would be a high-end revenue generator, with high-end restaurants. This is where people would come from all over the country.”
It’s a win-win situation and New Jersey Sports Authority and the political figures need to make this happen. Oh, and real estate values?
Legalize Casino gambling in Northern NJ? I’m all for it. I would be a big contributor to consumer spending, that’s for sure!! We’d love to hear your thoughts good or bad.
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