While 32Red was doubling profits, casinos and gaming groups were doubling the amount they spent on lobbying New Jersey politicians in 2010. Of the total $65.6m spent on all lobbyists in the Garden State last year, $1.2m (1.8%) was doled out by gambling corporations and industry associations, more than twice 2009’s $555k outlay. Leading the pack was the Casino Association of New Jersey ($305k), followed by Caesars Entertainment ($287k), Trump Entertainment Resorts ($188k), Revel Entertainment ($100k) and the co-owners of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa – Boyd Gaming and MGM Resorts International – spent a total $168k ($60k of which went to the Casino Association).
While the above figures are for 2010, just last month Caesars was rumored to have spent a lot of time, energy (and presumably money) trying to convince Gov. Chris Christie to veto the state’s landmark intrastate online gambling bill. Which he did. A Caesars spokesman claimed his company’s 2010 spending was “completely transparent,” with most of the money going to issues related to Christie’s revitalization of Atlantic City, although there was an oblique reference to “issues relating to expanded gambling in other parts of the state.” You mean, like, those parts of the state that have broadband access? We mention this only in passing, but Caesars $287k lobbying budget was more than twice that of the $140k spent in 2010 by the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (IMEGA). Ahem.