To the editor:
Based on the recent slew of news about legalized gambling in New Jersey, it seems that the governor and the state legislators are intent on having gambling be each resident’s expensive pastime.
From the subsidies paid to the horse racing industry, legalized Internet gambling, pursuing legalized sports betting all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, talk of new casinos in northern New Jersey, to the mandated expansion of off-track betting, our elected officials want us to be saturated with opportunities to wager.
Are they so desperate for revenue that they are hoping their citizens will throw their own money at it?
Perhaps they missed the reports that legalized Internet gambling is a colossal flop, generating a meager $9.3 million, versus the projected $160 million this year. When considering new casinos in North Jersey, perhaps they missed the news that three massive casino operations will close in the first five months of 2014.
They should face facts — legalized gambling in New Jersey is not the cash cow that they fool themselves into thinking it is. That means all the special treatment and political thrust put behind promoting this activity and this industry will come to little benefit, and much harm.
Take the effort to locate new off-track betting parlors in the state. Because of local opposition, the state legislators took away a town’s right to oppose locating these parlors in their town. Home rule is now gone when it comes to off-track betting.
This means that only the Racing Commission and the Attorney General get to decide whether Darby Associates locates their gambling parlor in Hillsborough. You and I have no say. Our mayor, our elected officials — no voice in the debate. Considering that the Racing Commission exists to promote horse racing in the state, it appears that only the Attorney General holds our fate. You and I have to get town permission to put up paneling in our house. But our elected officials are without a voice to locate a $20 million operation in our town.
We should be dubious of this $20 million figure anyway. That means they plan to generate $55,000 in revenue per day. According to Darby Associates, most bets are in the $1-2 range, and they will have 50 betting booths, meaning that they expect each booth to be full and to generate 45 bets per hour! Perhaps the same person estimating the $20 million also expected $160 million from Internet gambling.
As Hillsborough citizens, we should be on high alert for all these outside parties looking to bring off-track betting to our town. I’m certain that they don’t have our interest in mind — especially considering the exemption from paying property taxes that the state legislators gave them — thanks for that.
I for one will make my voice heard, despite our state legislators’ efforts to silence us. Please be alert to a public hearing soon to be scheduled on the betting parlor. And visit our Facebook page, "Stop OTB Hillsborough Now."
Brian Tarantino
Hillsborough
