NJ Casino News: Weekly Roundup

Get the latest casino news and updates in New Jersey for this week (October 30, 2021 – November 5, 2021).

NJ State Election Results Are In

Election Day was Tuesday, and some results might impact the state’s gambling interests. First, Gov. Phil Murphy held on to the governorship, but only by a slim margin, though that probably still feels like a success to his supporters who’d been behind him as he pushed to end the ban on sports betting. 

Meanwhile, the ballot initiative to permit gambling on New Jersey college teams has been defeated. And lastly, State Senate President Stephen Sweeney is out and Edward Durr is in:

What happens with Sweeney ousted? He was widely seen as the key stumbling block against passage of a ban on smoking inside Atlantic City casinos. Murphy already has expressed his intent to sign such a bill, but with Sweeney in charge, the point had seemed moot, as he did not even permit Senate committees to hold hearings to discuss issues he opposes.

If a rumor that Sweeney would be replaced by Sen. Paul Sarlo as the chamber’s president is accurate, the Meadowlands district official would be in a strong position to market the notion of a casino in the district — something Sarlo has emphatically backed — to a potentially receptive Murphy.

Still No Betting Allowed on NJ College Sports

In another Election Day upset, the ballot that could have paved the way for New Jersey residents to gamble on NJ college sports teams has been defeated, with all counties opposing the measure.

The measure would have allowed betting on college teams from New Jersey and on teams from other states who would be playing within New Jersey. Proponents wanted to keep New Jersey as a major leader in the sports betting market, and they also argued that the state was losing out on revenue from blocking bets on such games. However, early polling had shown that the initiative would most likely lose:

“One potential concern with lifting the ban may have been that college athletes would feel more pressure and/or face more scrutiny on social media because of the added attention and money involved,” said Jane Bokunewicz, director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University, which studies the gambling industry. “This is something that professional athletes have faced, with some questioning whether sports betting was a contributing factor.”

CANJ Appoints Joe Lupo of the Hard Rock as New President

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City President Joe Lupo was appointed as the president of the Casino Association of New Jersey this week. Terry Glebocki, the former CEO of Ocean Casino Resort, had stepped down last month. He’ll be taking over as casinos continue to make up for losses during the ongoing pandemic:

New Jersey’s legal sports betting industry leads the nation but is poised to take a hit once neighboring New York begins offering mobile sports betting, which is expected sometime next year. On its other border, Pennsylvania already does.

The association has also been lobbying state legislators for measures to help improve the finances of the casinos, although they have stalled in the past year, and are likely to be the subject of renewed focus by the association.

Lupo has 35 years of experience in gambling the industry, serving as president of Hard Rock Atlantic City since 2018. He joined Hard Rock International in 2016 and previously served as president of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida.

AC Casinos Celebrate National First Responders Day

Back in 2019, before Americans had to concern themselves with the pandemic, Congress had declared Oct. 28 as National First Responders Day. People from Ocean Casino Resort, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, and more brought coffee, meals, and treats to workers at AtlantiCare, police stations, and firehouses. Plenty of recipients were pleasantly surprised:

“We’re really trying to make them feel special on this day for all they have done for us through the pandemic,” said Joe Lodise, senior vice president and general manager of Caesars Atlantic City.

Capt. Paul Hess of Fire Station No. 1 appreciated the gesture.

“We’re the new-age firefighters trying to eat decent food,” he joked. “And the coffee? That’s gone — all day, all night we’re drinking it.”