According to a report, a spokesman for New Jersey governor Chris Christie yesterday confirmed that Christie has pulled back on protecting Atlantic City from video lottery terminal competition within the state
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An article on pressofatlanticcity.com states that the switch in position by Christie is related to an attempt to push Atlantic City's government to curb wasteful spending. A recent audit report conveyed that city officials had seen $23 million in wasteful spending and inefficiencies occur under their watch.
The article cites Christie spokesman Mike Drewniak as saying that the governor will not rule out the possibility of allowing the implementation of VLTs in state areas outside of Atlantic City. The new stance is the opposite to the position that Christie took during his campaign.
“During the campaign, the governor said he could not foresee a time when he would want to see gambling outside Atlantic City,” Drewniak was quoted as saying in the article. “That was during the campaign. What he could not foresee was that Atlantic City audit report — showing gross mismanagement — and all that they discovered. We’re not going to let the city destroy the industry in Atlantic City, by being so mismanaged.”
Christie has recently conveyed that he is taking no particular stance at the moment in regard to possibility allowing the implementation of VLTs at state-run racetracks.
(With files from pressofatlanticcity.com)
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