Are You Ready for $20 Games on New Jersey’s Boardwalks?

Remember when your dad would give you and your brother $20 each and you could spend the whole day on the boardwalk riding the rides, eating pizza, and playing games - like Skeeball?

Soon, you can throw that $20 bill away in one fell swoop on a boardwalk game - such as break-a-plate.

The New Jersey Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission has proposed to the New Jersey Attorney General that amendments be adopted that would change the maximum fee that can be charged for an amusement game.

The current maximum to play a game of chance on your local boardwalk is $10 - now, the proposal is to DOUBLE it! What happened to a buck or two increase? Why double it?

The New Jersey Legalized Games of Chance Commission has wide-reaching authority in the state. According to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, the Games of Chance Commission "oversees the operation of games conducted pursuant to the Bingo and Raffles Licensing Laws by approximately 12,000 charitable, educational, religious, patriotic, public-spirited organizations and senior citizen associations and organizations currently registered to conduct legalized games of chance, such as bingo games and raffles, throughout the state."

The Commission also "oversees the operations of approximately 1,000 Amusement Games operated at recognized amusement parks, seashore or other resorts or agricultural exhibitions (county fairs)."

Is there a reason the Commission and the State of New Jersey want to help us throw away our money faster? Are the owners of these games of chance hurting so much that we need to DOUBLE the amount they can swindle out of us charge us to have fun?

You can send an email protesting the move by sending it here:  CAProposal@dca.lps.state.nj.us.

"Who's ready to take a three-point basketball shot to win a prize? 20 bucks is all it takes to get in the game?"

SOURCES: New Jersey Attorney General and NJConsumerAffairs.gov.