Despite the controversial move by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to support sports betting at racetracks and casinos, residents of the Garden State are less than buoyantly excited about the opportunity Christie wishes to provide.
Rutgers Today is reporting the findings of a new poll of New Jersey residents and it doesn’t paint an enthusiastic picture for electronic sports betting.
While 44 percent of New Jerseyans sees sports betting as a plus for Atlantic City, 48 percent is less positive about its value: 31 percent says it will make no difference and 17 percent views sports betting as bad for the struggling resort city.
So what’s behind the concern? Apparently, a growing segment of the population no longer believes that gambling in any fashion will be the panacea for Atlantic City’s financial turmoil.
“In the face of Atlantic City’s troubles, most New Jerseyans no longer think gambling is particularly good for the state,” David Redlawsk, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, is quoted in the report. “Nearly four decades after the first casino opened, residents are split on whether gambling should expand and clearly don’t believe some current plans will be of much help to Atlantic City itself.”
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