TRENTON — New York-based groups on either side of a fall referendum to decide whether to expand casino gambling to the northern part of the state are gearing up for a fight, according to a news report.

The New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council and a group backed by a Queens virtual casino operator are putting big dollars into ads opposing the expansion, while the New York City owner of a Meadowlands racetrack is boosting the The New York Daily News reported Monday.

Union President Peter Ward told the Daily News the group represents about 5,000 New Jersey hospitality workers and will launch Monday with a six-figure ad buy critical of the gambling expansion.

Ward said legislation fails to protect union's rights to organize. "Our union has built a strong standard for gaming workers in the tri-state area, and until we have concrete assurances that those standards will be met, we will oppose any efforts to expand gaming into North Jersey," he told the Daily News.

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A potential competitor, Genting, the Queens operator of a virtual casino, is putting money into the fight, backing Trenton's Bad Bet, a coalition that formed last month to resist the expansion.

In a statement announcing its formation, the organization said it planned to urge "residents to be wary of any promises the state makes about the benefits of new casinos."

A Genting spokesman told the newspaper casinos in northern New Jersey threaten New York jobs.

Within the Garden State, opponents fear the plan will lead to more casino closings in Atlantic City. The Trump Taj Majal recently announced it will close its doors this summer amid an impasse with striking union workers.

Proponents say north Jersey casinos would make New Jersey competitive in the northeast gaming market and bring in millions of dollars in new revenue and thousands of new jobs.

If approved by voters, who polls show are opposed, Atlantic City would initially receive $200 million of the tax revenues from the new casinos to offset its losses. The rest of the revenue would be split between programs and tax relief for senior citizens and the disabled. Two percent would go to New Jersey's struggling horse racing industry and to host municipalities and counties.

But outside money will be coming in to support the referendum. New York real estate developer Jeff Gural, who operates the Meadowlands Racetrack is a proponent of the expansion. He has previously argued casinos will help keep the state's horse racing industry alive.

Gural has said that New Jersey is losing ground to casinos in New York and Pennsylvania, and that a casino in the Meadowlands wouldn't compete with Atlantic City but with the other casinos in the region. 

Samantha Marcus may be reached at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.