The approval of three new casinos in New York City has renewed discussion in New Jersey over whether the state should allow casinos outside Atlantic City, with lawmakers and industry figures again pointing to the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks as potential sites.
On Dec. 15, the New York Gaming Commission granted final approval for two casinos in Queens and one in the Bronx. Three proposals for Manhattan were rejected.
While New Jersey gaming executives had been most concerned about a Manhattan casino drawing customers away from Atlantic City, the latest approvals have nonetheless reignited debate over whether New Jersey should expand in-person gaming to retain gambling revenue within the state.
State Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood Ridge, said the New York locations pose limited competitive risk to New Jersey’s casino market but argued that the state should move forward with its own long-term plans.
State Sen. Paul Sarlo
“Even though they have now approved the recommendations for two locations in Queens and one in the Bronx, those pose the least amount of competition to gaming in New Jersey,” Sarlo said in a statement.
Sarlo said attention should turn to development plans once New Jersey’s role as a FIFA World Cup host concludes next July. “After we leave the world stage when the FIFA World Cup exits New Jersey, our next focus should be constructing a world-class convention center and casino at the Meadowlands and gaming at the Monmouth Racetrack,” he said.
Under current law, all nine of New Jersey’s brick-and-mortar casinos are located in Atlantic City. Any expansion would require voter approval of a constitutional amendment. A proposed referendum would ask voters whether casinos should be permitted at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford and at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport.
For a constitutional amendment to appear on the ballot, it must pass either once by a supermajority in both the state Senate and Assembly, or twice by a simple majority in both chambers.
Dennis Drazin, chief executive officer of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth Park, said he would like the referendum to be placed before voters next November, which would require legislative approval by June. Drazin said Morris Bailey, who is developing 298 rental units and a 200-room hotel adjacent to Monmouth Park, would likely lead development of a casino in Oceanport. Caesars currently operates the sportsbook at the racetrack.
At the Meadowlands, owner Jeff Gural said a casino project would require a partnership with an established casino operator and could cost up to $2 billion. Gural said a 2026 referendum remains under consideration. “We wouldn’t put anything on the ballot unless we’re sure it would pass,” he said.
Gural was the driving force behind a 2016 North Jersey casino referendum that voters rejected by a 4-1 margin. “It was designed to fail,” Gural said in a 2024 interview, arguing that the proposal allowed a casino to be built anywhere in North Jersey. “People don’t really want a casino in their neighborhood,” he said.
Industry analysts say any new casinos would need to operate as destination venues rather than rely solely on gaming. Bill Pascrell III, a gambling industry lobbyist, said future casinos would need entertainment, dining, hotels, and specialized betting options. “You have to not just be a gambling hall. You have to be a destination,” Drazin has previously said.
Separately, the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce continues to promote a proposed convention center near MetLife Stadium, estimated to cost $1.6 billion, with additional hotel development projected at $1 billion. Chamber President Jim Kirkos said, “If we continue to sit back and not do some envisioning and not think about the future, the states around us will continue to eat our lunch.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/12/18/116871-new-york-city-casino-approvals-reignite-new-jersey-debate-over-meadowlands-and-monmouth-park-sites
