Published on: April 14, 2026, at 08:41h.
Updated on: April 14, 2026, at 10:01h.
- Recent polls indicate that New Jersey residents are open to casinos being established in North and Central Jersey
- Over 60% of voters would reportedly support a casino at the Meadowlands
- Three new casinos are set to launch in New York City
A recent poll from New Jersey reveals an increasing willingness among voters to consider casinos beyond Atlantic City.
Following New York’s approval of two major casino resorts in Queens and another in the Bronx, developers and lawmakers in New Jersey are revisiting plans to introduce slot machines and table gaming to the northern regions.
Recent polling suggests a significant shift in public opinion over the last decade, likely influenced by the developments in casinos in New York City.
The Global Strategy Group recently surveyed 800 likely New Jersey voters on their feelings about casino gambling. The poll, which has a margin of error of 3.5%, found that an impressive 61% are in favor of permitting a casino at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Support spans political lines, with 64% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans expressing their willingness to vote in favor of a casino at the Meadowlands.
Support for a casino at Monmouth Park in Central New Jersey garnered 54% approval.
Benefits of Casinos for New Jersey
The Global Strategy Group found that 54% of surveyed individuals believe that casino gambling has positively impacted New Jersey, indicating that introducing gaming outside of Atlantic City could help retain essential tax revenue that originates from Northern New Jersey.
“Voters are aware of the advantages that casinos can offer the state, which makes expansion an advantageous solution for some of New Jersey’s pressing issues,” reported the research firm. “The revenue generated from casinos is valuable, especially considering the financial hurdles that the state acknowledges.”
Last year, the nine casinos in Atlantic City generated $216.8 million in gaming taxes from in-person play. Online gaming contributed an additional $581.8 million, while sports betting accounted for $209.1 million, culminating in over $1 billion in total revenue.
The effect that the new downstate New York casinos will have on New Jersey’s gaming sector remains uncertain. Atlantic City may continue to leverage its appealing beach, family-oriented offerings, and overall value proposition.
Poll Sponsor
Jeff Gural, operator of Meadowlands Racetrack, commissioned the Global Strategy Group poll concerning casino gambling outside Atlantic City. Gural has long been an advocate for the expansion of the facility neighboring the home of the NFL’s Giants and Jets into a resort-style casino.
While the racetrack facilitates retail and mobile sports betting through FanDuel, Gural previously proposed a collaboration with Hard Rock International to bring casino gaming to the Meadowlands.
However, Hard Rock may now be an unlikely partner, as the company has teamed up with billionaire Steve Cohen for the ambitious Metropolitan Park casino project in Willets Point.
Earlier this month, a poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University indicated that 50% of New Jersey voters would prefer to maintain existing boundaries for casinos.
“People have formed their opinions about expanding casinos quite some time ago,” remarked Dan Cassino, a government and politics professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University and executive director of the FDU Poll. “Unless something significant occurs, putting the issue back for a vote will likely yield the same result as in the past.”
Residents of the Garden State last faced an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution regarding casino gambling outside Atlantic City in 2016, with the referendum defeated by a substantial margin of 77% to 23%.