New poll says New Jersey casino ballot would fail

According to the Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll, casino expansion in Northern New Jersey will fail at November’s ballot.

US.- A new poll shows an upcoming ballot question asking New Jersey voters whether to expand casino gambling to the northern part of the state would fail if voting were held today. The poll was conducted via phone with 712 self-identified registered New Jersey voters June 22-26. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 3.8 percentage points.

According to the Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll, 57 percent of the registered voters surveyed are against the proposed constitutional amendment to allow two casinos in north Jersey, whilst only 35 percent are in favour.

New Jersey’s voters will decide approve the amendment when they head to the polls on Election Day Nov. 8. Currently, Atlantic City is the only place in the state where casino gambling is allowed. An FDU poll in January showed that 50 percent said they opposed expanding casino gambling beyond Atlantic City and 42 percent backed the idea.

“Favorable attitudes toward expansion have never been part of the landscape,” said Krista Jenkins, the poll’s director and a political science professor at FDU.. “This suggests the supporters of this amendment will continue to experience an uphill battle convincing voters that casinos beyond Atlantic City are a worthwhile investment in local economies.”