Fifth time’s a charm? New prospective Aqueduct bidders emerge

Penn National Gaming might be gearing up for another bid on a contract to operate the Aqueduct racino in Queens, Crain’s reported, as are at least four others that have yet to be disclosed. The city issued its new request for proposal — its fifth attempt to select a builder an operator for the racino — last week and has since received more than 120 questions in response, submitted by five different prospective bidders, a spokesperson for the New York Lottery, which issued the RFP, said. “We’re awaiting additional information prior to deciding whether or not to participate,” Eric Schippers of Penn National said. Proposals are due June 29 with a minimum $300 million payment upfront and this time, bidders will not be allowed to lobby for their group. The last time around, Governor Paterson’s controversial selection of Aqueduct Entertainment Group for the project sparked accusations of foul play and ultimately led to the state backing down from its pick. [Crain’s] 

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter