SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 20

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED JANUARY 18, 1996

By Senator BRYANT

A Concurrent Resolution proposing an amendment to Article IV, Section VII, paragraph 2 of the Constitution.

    Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):

    1. The following proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of New Jersey is hereby agreed to:

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

    Amend Article IV, Section VII, paragraph 2 to read as follows:

    2. No gambling of any kind shall be authorized by the Legislature unless the specific kind, restrictions and control thereof have been heretofore submitted to, and authorized by a majority of the votes cast by, the people at a special election or shall hereafter be submitted to, and authorized by a majority of the votes cast thereon by, the legally qualified voters of the State voting at a general election, except that, without any such submission or authorization:

    A. It shall be lawful for bona fide veterans, charitable, educational, religious or fraternal organizations, civic and service clubs, senior citizen associations or clubs, volunteer fire companies and first-aid or rescue squads to conduct, under such restrictions and control as shall from time to time be prescribed by the Legislature by law, games of chance of, and restricted to, the selling of rights to participate, the awarding of prizes, in the specific kind of game of chance sometimes known as bingo or lotto, played with cards bearing numbers or other designations, 5 or more in one line, the holder covering numbers as objects, similarly numbered, are drawn from a receptacle and the game being won by the person who first covers a previously designated arrangement of numbers on such a card, when the entire net proceeds of such games of chance are to be devoted to educational, charitable, patriotic, religious or public-spirited uses, and in the case of senior citizen associations or clubs to the support of such organizations, in any municipality, in which a majority of the qualified voters, voting thereon, at a general or special election as the submission thereof shall be prescribed by the Legislature by law, shall authorize the conduct of such games of chance therein;

    B. It shall be lawful for the Legislature to authorize, by law, bona fide veterans, charitable, educational, religious or fraternal organizations, civic and service clubs, senior citizen associations or clubs, volunteer fire companies and first-aid or rescue squads to conduct games of chance of, and restricted to, the selling of rights to participate, and the awarding of prizes, in the specific kinds of games of chance sometimes known as raffles, conducted by the drawing for prizes or by the allotment of prizes by chance, when the entire net proceeds of such games of chance are to be devoted to educational, charitable, patriotic, religious or public-spirited uses, and in the case of senior citizen associations or clubs to the support of such organizations, in any municipality, in which such law shall be adopted by a majority of the qualified voters, voting thereon, at a general or special election as the submission thereof shall be prescribed by law and for the Legislature, from time to time, to restrict and control, by law, the conduct of such games of chance;

    C. It shall be lawful for the Legislature to authorize the conduct of State lotteries restricted to the selling of rights to participate therein and the awarding of prizes by drawings when the entire net proceeds of any such lottery shall be for State institutions, State aid for education; [and]

    D. It shall be lawful for the Legislature to authorize by law the establishment and operation, under regulation and control by the State, of gambling houses or casinos within the boundaries, as heretofore established, of the city of Atlantic City, county of Atlantic, and to license and tax such operations and equipment used in connection therewith. Any law authorizing the establishment and operation of such gambling establishments shall provide for the State revenues derived therefrom to be applied solely for the purpose of providing funding for reductions in property taxes, rental, telephone, gas, electric, and municipal utilities charges of[,]eligible senior citizens and disabled residents of the State, and for additional or expanded health services or benefits or transportation services or benefits to eligible senior citizens and disabled residents, in accordance with such formulae as the Legislature shall by law provide. The type and number of such casinos or gambling houses and of the gambling games which may be conducted in any such establishment shall be determined by or pursuant to the terms of the law authorizing the establishment and operation thereof.

    It shall also be lawful for the Legislature to authorize by law, and to tax, the conduct of casino gambling on boats which are permanently docked at, or are principally docked at and operate from, sites on the shores or banks of bodies of water located in, or constituting a boundary of, this State if a state bordering this State authorizes the conduct of any form of casino gambling. Any law authorizing such casino gambling shall provide that: (1) only holders of licenses which are operating casinos in Atlantic City shall be licensed to conduct the casino gambling on such boats; (2) no such license holder in Atlantic City shall be licensed to conduct such casino gambling on more than three boats; and (3) the tax on such casino gambling shall be at the same rate set by law for the operation of gambling establishments in Atlantic City and the State revenues derived from such casino gambling shall be applied for the same purposes as hereinabove are specified for the State revenues derived from the operation of gambling establishments in Atlantic City, except that 25% of the State revenues derived from casino gambling on each boat shall be transmitted to the municipality in which that boat is permanently or principally docked; and

    E. It shall be lawful for the Legislature to authorize, by law, (1) the simultaneous transmission by picture of running and harness horse races conducted at racetracks located within or outside of this State, or both, to gambling houses or casinos in the city of Atlantic City and (2) wagering at those gambling establishments on the results of those races. The State's share of revenues derived therefrom shall be applied for services to benefit eligible senior citizens as shall be provided by law.

(cf: Article IV, Section VII, paragraph 2 amended effective December 6, 1990)

    2. When this proposed amendment to the Constitution is finally agreed to pursuant to Article IX, paragraph 1 of the Constitution, it shall be submitted to the people at the next general election occurring more than three months after the final agreement and shall ne published at least once in at least one newspaper of each county designated by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly and the Secretary of State, not less than three months prior to the general election.

    3. This proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be submitted to the people at that election in the following manner and form:

    There shall be printed on each official ballot to be used at the general election, the following:

    a. In every municipality in which voting machines are not used, a legend which shall immediately precede the question, as follows:

    If you favor the proposition printed below make a cross (X), plus (+) or check (•) in the square opposite the word ‘Yes’. If you are opposed thereto make a cross (X), plus (+) or check (•) in the square opposite the word ‘No’.

    b.    In every municipality the following question:

STATEMENT

    This constitutional amendment would permit the Legislature to authorize by law the conduct of casino gambling on boats which are permanently docked at, or are principally docked at and operate from, sites on the shores or banks of bodies of water located in, or constituting a boundary of, this State if a bordering state authorizes any form of casino gambling. Only holders of licenses which are operating casinos in Atlantic City could conduct the casino gambling on boats, and no such license holder could operate more than three boats. The same tax applicable to casino gambling in Atlantic City would apply to the gambling on the boats, and the State revenues derived from the gambling on each boat would be applied for the same purposes as the State revenues derived from the casino gambling in Atlantic City, except that 25% of the revenue would be distributed to the municipality in which the boat is permanently or principally docked.

Permits Legislature to authorize "riverboat" gambling if a bordering state authorizes casino gambling.