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Monica Yant Kinney: As the State Turns: Christie gets cozy with casino

Just when I thought I had Chris Christie figured out, the Garden State Austerity King goes all-in on, of all things, gambling.

Just when I thought I had Chris Christie figured out, the Garden State Austerity King goes all-in on, of all things, gambling.

The governor cries poor, then bets $261 million in tax breaks on a single Atlantic City casino's ability to revive a dying casino town? That makes about as much sense as playing just one cent on penny slots. Cue the stares, hold the jackpot.

By propping up the Revel Casino - you know, the half-built monstrosity with killer ocean views - New Jersey becomes a 20 percent partner in a business it regulates.

Too cozy for your taste? Good luck filing a complaint now that Christie is firing all 144 of the state's casino inspectors.

With the same swipe of his pen, the governor gutted the well-regarded Casino Control Commission, which ensured that pit bosses weren't crooks and no person had unfettered access to all that cash.

Christie believes scaling back oversight will reduce costs and make A.C. more attractive to investment. He dubbed this new approach "re-regulation."

Now the governor's office is rooting for one Atlantic City casino (Revel) to make gobs of money at the expense of all the rest. And if success requires looking the other way and letting casinos police themselves? If you can't trust your business partners, whom can you trust?

A matter of convenience

Las Vegas remains a gaudy destination drawing drunk bachelors, curious conventioneers, and slutty starlets. Everywhere else, gambling has been so normalized that rather than killing an hour at a suburban mall while the kids are at soccer practice, bored parents can play a few hands of blackjack instead.

Chances are, you haven't been to Atlantic City since Pennsylvania put casinos on every corner.

Why endure a bumpy bus ride to one of Trump's dumps when you could spend the afternoon watching the ponies at Harrah's in Chester and still get home for dinner and Jeopardy! in your own recliner?

Even north and central Jersey residents quickly deduced that they could have just as much fun losing just as much money in less time by traveling to out-of-state casinos in Yonkers or Bethlehem.

I'll admit I was intrigued when Christie first made waves about rechristening A.C. as a family resort. To me, it has always seemed more logical to promote sand than casinos, where kids are banned.

But instead, the governor bought into the notion that America's Playground will rise or fall based on wagering by people so zoned out they don't know if it's sunny or snowing. If we've learned nothing from the success of places like Parx, it's that they could care less about anything except the game.

Eyes wide shut

Now that he's part-owner of a casino, Christie thinks the gaming industry should be free of the onerous costs of doing business.

The Division of Gaming Enforcement will assume many of the duties of the Casino Control Commission, but gone are the 24/7 state inspectors found on gaming floors.

Until now, New Jersey was also known for keeping a close eye on every dollar in every casino. Drop boxes and counting rooms could be opened only with two keys, one held by the casino, the other by commission employees.

The new law eliminates this oversight and also does away with a requirement that every casino worker - from security guard to dealer to cashier - undergo rigorous background checks for licensing.

Clearly, Christie believes deregulation will send the message to the business world to take another look at Atlantic City. But casinos aren't any other industry. Given the staggering sums and stakes, they deserve more scrutiny, not less.

And besides, regulators long ago learned to change with the times. When Resorts opened in 1978, it had to stage a theater show every night, regardless of whether anyone showed up. And back then, casinos had to close for a few hours each day. Can you imagine?