Developers are putting their cards on the table in an effort to win the right to build a casino in New York City.
A handful of developers and gaming operators are mobilizing to bid for a license to operate in the city, the New York Post reported. The state’s gaming commission can award up to three licenses downstate and Mayor Eric Adams has expressed a desire for at least two to be in the city.
In Manhattan, Related Companies is eyeing a venue near its Hudson Yards megadevelopment on the Far West Side. Representatives from the company have already met with City Hall officials to discuss a proposal for the area.
Vornado and SL Green are also targeting Manhattan — specifically, Times Square. All three of those developers are looking to partner with casino companies, including Hard Rock, Sands and Wynn.
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Interest in a casino stretches beyond the island. Hard Rock has been in discussions about partnering with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen for a Queens casino at Willets Point. Lobbying efforts for a casino next to Citi Field have previously been reported.
John Catsimatidis, whose developments include a Coney Island project, is also interested in opening a casino in the seaside neighborhood. He told the post a “casino would be a wonderful thing for Coney Island and Brooklyn.”
While the competition for a new casino is technically for three licenses, it may actually be a fight for only one. Resorts World/Genting at Aqueduct in Queens and the Empire City/MGM at Yonkers plan to apply for a full gaming license after operating for years as slots parlors; their history may give them an edge in the bidding.
Still, it could be an uphill battle to bring a casino to anywhere in the city. Significant political and community approvals would be needed, a possibility some politicians are already rallying against.
“I strongly oppose a Manhattan casino in concept,” state Sen. Brad Hoylman told the Post. “I don’t know one constituent who wants a casino.”
But the state does. New York could score at least $500 million for each license. The next big step in the process is the formation of a siting board by Oct. 4, which will then lead to a request for bids.
— Holden Walter-Warner