Favorites Comes To Toms River

If all goes according to plan New Jersey’s third off-track wagering facility will open in Toms River today against the wishes of some opponents who have predicted dire consequences. Favorites at Toms River is a 759-seat betting parlor with a restaurant and bar that is located on Route 37 West in what used to be a Grand Union supermarket. It will join OTW facilities that are currently operating in Woodbridge and Vineland and comes seven years after state officials approved a resolution that would allow up to 15 licenses for betting parlors in New Jersey. The move was made to help the state’s slumping horse racing industry and the operation in Woodbridge is already a huge success with many predicting the same for Toms River.

This state is way behind the times when it comes to making it easier for those who like to bet on horse racing as OTB and similar operations have been in existence for years all around us. The new Off Track Wagering Parlors are not to be confused with store-front OTB stores like those in New York. This is a state-of-the-art facility with plasma TV’s everywhere and its expected people will come for a day or night of entertainment.

Opponents might have a valid concern or two but they’ve gone way too far with some of the arguments. How much of a traffic problem can there be, especially at night when that part of Route 37 is least utilized. We are not talking about a place that holds thousands of people so with few exceptions the impact should be minimal and no greater than other retail establishments in that area. Some question the location of a gambling facility in close proximity to so many senior citizens living on a fixed income and I could laugh at this one. First of all a large percentage of those who enjoy horse racing happen to be seniors and many of them have had to drive to Monmouth Park for live or simulcast racing…now they have a place much closer to home. And if we’re going to all of a sudden get involved in morality let’s not forget about those busses loaded with seniors heading to Atlantic City each day and of course there’s the state-run lottery in which you can purchase tickets on just about every corner. On the other end you have the enticement to young people and just like at the race track you’ll have to be 18 to make a bet and 21 to have a drink in the bar or restaurant.

Look Favorites of Toms River will have some bumps in the road but at the end of the day I think the positives outweigh the negatives…only time will tell if I right or wrong.