On October 24, the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) was invited to present testimony before a joint hearing of the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee and the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee on the topic of online sports betting and its impact on the State. The CCSNJ thanks Chairman Jim Beach and Chairman Bill Moen for the invitation to participate.

During her remarks, Christina M. Renna, president & CEO stated that New Jersey has become a national model for sports betting, as the State has surpassed Nevada in online betting revenue. She commended then-Governor Chris Christie, who made it a priority to legalize sports betting in New Jersey, as well as Governor Phil Murphy, who signed the legislation to create the new industry and the State Legislature, which has done an excellent job of reassessing and retooling statutes and regulations to assure the industry is poised for success. Ms. Renna also commended Governor Murphy for creating the “Responsible Gaming Task Force,” which will be releasing its findings and recommendation early next year.

In Ms. Renna’s testimony, she emphasized that the economic activity, along with the jobs created as a result of the sports betting industry, are of the utmost priority to the CCSNJ. She noted that the sports betting industry has created over 4,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state, with many more predicted to come online soon.

However, Ms. Renna went on to emphasize that strong revenue figures from online gaming should not be confused with the health of Atlantic City’s brick and mortar casinos, which have not returned to pre-COVID revenue levels. According to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission’s 2023 annual report, there are currently 22,643 people employed by brick and mortar casinos, with over 21,000 being from the seven most southern counties of New Jersey.

She concluded her remarks by saying that as the online sports betting industry continues to thrive, state government must also focus on the health of Atlantic City’s casinos assuring no policies are put in place that could lead to job loss, especially given that casino jobs are South Jersey jobs.

 To read the CCSNJ’s full testimony, click here.