NATIONAL GAMBLING IMPACT STUDY COMMISSION

FELICIA GRONDIN

Felicia Grondin.

MS. GRONDIN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Felicia Grondin, and I'm legislative liaison for the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.

I would also like to recognize Commissioner Leanne Brown, who is here with us today, who's a member of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and also a former State Senator.

I want to thank Chairperson Kay James and members of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself today and to tell you briefly about how the New Jersey Casino Control Commission intends to assist you in regard to the many important gaming issues you've been charged by statute to study.

Under the direction of Bradford S. Smith, Chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, I have been charged with the responsibility of preparing a comprehensive report for this National Commission addressing the issues you are examining as they relate to casino gaming in New Jersey.

New Jersey has the most comprehensive casino regulation in the world. We are responsible for maintaining the integrity of casino gaming in New Jersey and with keeping strict control over casino revenues. We have been and continue to be involved in all important components of casino gaming.

As such, we know well the good and bad aspects of gaming. Fortunately for New Jersey, the experience for the most part has been positive, but there are also negative aspects, and these, too, will be described in the report so that you can gain a clear understanding of how casino gaming has affected New Jersey.

To compile this report, we've reached out to the State of New Jersey, the City of Atlantic City, the County of Atlantic, the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, to name a few.

All data has been received and is presently being analyzed and interpreted. We expect the report to be completed in the fall of this year.

And finally, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission would like very much to host a meeting of your Commission in Atlantic City. We would like to show you first hand the type of controls we maintain over the industry, and you will be able to see for yourselves the effect casino gaming has had on Atlantic City.

Again, I would like to thank all of you for providing the New Jersey Casino Control Commission with the opportunity to speak before you today.

CHAIRPERSON JAMES: Thank you.

Beverly Martin.

Darrell McGraw.