Possible Change in Atlantic City Casino Operations
November 12th, 2010
The Atlantic City Casino Commission Control, the entity working to assure public trust and confidence in the credibility and integrity of the casino industry and casino operations in the city, could be facing tough times ahead if a proposed bill proposed by Governor Chris Christie’s current administration becomes a law. The drafted proposal states that the Casino Commission Control (CCC) could very well find itself with much less power and functions when working in Atlantic City which means bad news not only for Atlantic City gamblers but also for future online casinos in the area. Atlantic City is currently working hard towards having their land-based venues operate hand in hand with websites that offer the same games including tables games and penny slot machines.
This draft proposal could limit the powers of the CCC to just licensing casinos in Atlantic City, while transferring everything else to the Division of Gaming Enforcement. This Division currently serves as an investigative and enforcement agency for the billion dollar gambling industry in New Jersey. The draft aims to cut down casino industry expenses and use the savings to promote tourism to Atlantic City. Moreover, the change in power will also have an effect on the way casino inspectors operate as they will no longer be required to be on the casino’s premises 24 hours a day. This means additional cuts in the commission’s expenditures and over 139 casino inspectors would be forced to loose benefits since almost half of these inspectors are eligible for retirement. The proposal states that close to $25 million could be saved by restructuring the casinos’ regulatory bodies.
In addition, the draft also proposes the modification of taxes in Atlantic City casinos that are currently being paid to the state.The news come after the casino revenue in the city fell 12 percent in October, after Pennsylvania and West Virginia added table games and new casinos opened in Philadelphia and Maryland.
