New bill to keep New Jersey casinos open

State authorities introduced a bill that guarantees that casinos in New Jersey will remain open during the budget crisis.

US.- Senate President Steve Sweeney and Jim Whelan and Jeff Van Drew, senators, introduced a bill that wants to amend a law that authorises New Jersey casinos to stay open for a week after the state government gets shut down. The new bill allows gambling facilities to open their doors indefinitely.

“The casinos continue to be the driving force for the economy in the city and the entire region. Atlantic City is turning around, and to allow the casinos to close now or at any time in the future would be destructive to the lives of the casino workers and their families and would create an economic riptide with negative consequences for the entire city and region,” said Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic. Last week, Governor Chris Christie ruled to shut down nonessential state services after his government failed to pass the budget.

During the first week of June, Christie announced that new regulations regarding casinos in Atlantic City will be introduced in the state this month. The measure comes after the request of officials from MGM and Caesars. “We’re going to be working with them on additional ways we can bring Atlantic City’s regulations into the 21st century,” said the governor.