Sports betting supporters not worried about NFL moving Super Bowl
THE RECORD, JANUARY 17, 2012
Governor Christie on Tuesday signed into law a bill allowing state residents to bet on professional and college sports at the state’s racetracks and casinos — even though a federal law prohibits New Jersey and 45 other states from offering any such gambling.
If a lawsuit to overturn the ban is successful, fans attending the 2014 Super Bowl at the Meadowlands could be in a position to bet legally on the game at the nearby Meadowlands Racetrack.
And even though executives with the National Football League — by far the most popular team sport for bettors — oppose gambling on NFL games, state officials say they aren’t worried that legalization will cause the league to move Super Bowl to another site.
“I dare the NFL to even think about taking away the Super Bowl from New Jersey,” said state Sen. Ray Lesniak, D-Union, who sponsored the sports betting bill. “It would be foolhardy to do it.”
State Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge and Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, also said that were not concerned about the game being moved if sports betting is permitted in the state. Meadowlands Regional Chamber President Jim Kirkos — another supporter of sports betting — agreed.
“I can see the league putting some resources into opposing the betting coming to the state, but I don’t see them not doing the Super Bowl in New Jersey because of it,” Kirkos said.
NFL spokesman Kevin McCarthy did not directly address a question about whether the league would consider moving the game if sports betting was legalized in the state.
“We have a long-held, unwavering opposition to gambling on NFL games,” McCarthy said. “We have been an active proponent of federal and state legislation that prohibits the spread of legal sports gambling. We continue to support the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which became law in 1992 and prohibits states from operating a lottery or betting scheme based on pro or college games.”
The state Attorney General’s office is expected to challenge that 20-year-old law in U.S. District Court. The law, which is called the Bradley Act, was sponsored by former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., a Hall of Fame basketball player for Princeton University and the New York Knicks.
Lesniak, who has led the fight for sports betting for several years, said he thinks the court challenge could be successful in as little as six months.
Newark, N.J. (WSJ) Apr 04, 2011— Signature Flight Support To Invest In Newark Terminal
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey's Board of Commissioners has approved a lease extension with Signature Flight Support Corp. and a new first-class lounge for Virgin Atlantic Airlines at Newark Liberty International.
The Signature agreement allows the company to handle private flights at Newark Liberty through August 2024 with its continued lease of Hangar 15 and 11 acres of property. Signature agreed to invest $11 million before the Super Bowl in 2014 for a new passenger terminal and ramp renovations, initiatives that are expected to result in 80 jobs, $4 million in wages and $19.5 million in economic activity over the project's life, the port authority said.
Separately, Virgin Atlantic will sign an 11-year lease for a nearly 5,000-square-foot lounge for passengers at Terminal B, which will mean $4.4 million in rent, the port authority said. The airline agreed to pay for an estimated $3.5 million worth of improvements to the lounge prior to the Super Bowl.
Newark, N.J. (CNBC) Apr 01, 2011—A billion dollars for a Bud? That's what Anheuser Busch plans to pay, to be the official beer of the NFL.
The deal, reported at six years and $1.2 billion, did include the right to the NFL shield and the use of all the logos. What didn't it include? Well, team deals are separately negotiated and there is no advertising exclusivity for any game except for the Super Bowl.
The package did include a two-year extension (through 2014) on exclusive beer rights for the Super Bowl broadcast.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Mar 31, 2011— Xana-who?
Xanadu, the mega-mall project in the Meadowlands that Gov. Chris Christie has called the ugliest building in New Jersey, will be getting a new name.
Jon Hanson, who headed a committee appointed by Christie to study the future of casinos, racetracks and Xanadu, told a gambling forum Thursday that the project will shed its Kubla Khan-inspired name.
Hanson says he met with the latest developers, Triple-Five, and told them the project does not mean anything to the average New Jerseyan.
"Nobody in New Jersey knows what a Xanadu is, so you have to change the name," Hanson says he told the developers. "I can report to you there will be a name change."
A new name has yet to be picked out.
Last week, Christie called it the ugliest building in New Jersey, and possibly America. He said any deal to finish developing a troubled multibillion-dollar retail and entertainment complex at the Meadowlands will have to include a new exterior.
The décor, which cost an estimated $40 million, has been a source of curiosity for motorists on the turnpike and a joke for late-night comedians. It features rectangular panels of orange, brown, blue and lime.
Late last year, Triple Five, which owns the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, signed a letter of intent with lenders to complete the development of the complex and possibly expand it.
Hanson repeated that possibility Thursday, saying "We are exploring ways that we can increase the size of that facility."
Located about 10 miles west of New York City, next to the Izod Center and across a highway from the $1.6 billion New Meadowlands Stadium that is slated to host the 2014 Super Bowl, the décor of the complex has been a source of curiosity for motorists traveling the New Jersey Turnpike.
Hanson, founder of a real estate operating company and past chairman of the authority that owns the stadium, said a recent study found that shoppers spend an average of 30 minutes at retail malls. But at malls with entertainment components, they spend three hours, he said.
He said the newly-named complex will be a retail and entertainment center that will draw millions of visitors a year.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Feb 7, 2011— New Jersey is looking ahead to 2014, when it will play host to football's biggest game.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno joined officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and representatives from the Marriott Hotel at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday to announce a multimillion-dollar renovation of the hotel as the first step in a wider strategy to attract tourists to the state for a Super Bowl still three years away.
Under the terms of the agreement, Host Hotels & Resorts Inc., which owns the Marriott, has agreed to invest $164 million to upgrade and expand it. The company, based in Bethesda, Md., says it will spend $34 million of that before the 2014 Super Bowl on improvements to the hotel, which is on airport grounds. The private investments are in addition to minimum annual guaranteed revenue the Port Authority receives from the hotel's airport lease. In exchange, the Port Authority, which runs the region's major airports, will extend that lease for 40 years.
The Port Authority estimates the renovation project will create more than 250 jobs — from construction to hotel staff positions — and generate $60 million in economic activity for New Jersey. Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni, who described Newark Airport as "the gateway to Super Bowl 2014," said public-private partnerships such as the hotel renovation and other infrastructure improvements at the airport will reap benefits long after the game.
"It will generate new jobs, robust economic activity and attract new tourism interest for many years to come," he said.
The renovation of the 591-room hotel is only one part of a wider strategy to encourage visitors to patronize businesses in towns and cities near the New Meadowlands Stadium, in East Rutherford, where the Super Bowl will be held, Guadagno said.
Partnerships with mayors of several cities are in the works, Guadagno said, as well as plans to help visitors travel to different venues or connect to public transportation. The Marriott Hotel is about 20 miles from the stadium. A collaboration with Newark Mayor Cory Booker would attract visitors to his city's Ironbound restaurant district, Guadagno said.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Feb 4, 2011— New Jersey is looking ahead while sports fans prepare for Sunday's Super Bowl.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, along with officials from the Port Authority and the owner of the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott, say renovation of the hotel is the first step in a wider strategy to bring tourists to New Jersey for the 2014 Super Bowl at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
Port Authority officials, speaking at the Marriott Friday, said they agreed to extend the hotel's airport lease for 40 years. In exchange, Host Hotels and Resorts, which owns the hotel, has agreed to invest $164 million to upgrade the facility and expand its capacity.
The move is expected to create more than 250 jobs and generate an estimated $60 million in economic activity for New Jersey.
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The 2014 Super Bowl is scheduled for Sunday, February 3, 2014.
The Meadowlands are accessible from both New Jersey and New York City including Mass Transit options
The new Meadowlands Stadium will not be domed, and, therefore, heavy winter clothing will be needed. Early February can be brutally cold in New Jersey and snow is always a possibility.
If the hotel you wish to book requires a deposit make sure you understand the cancellation policies before putting down any money
