A New York state government committee recommended Monday that three downstate casino projects — one in the Bronx and two in Queens — be awarded casino gaming licenses.
The five-member New York Gaming Facility Location Board made the announcement in a morning meeting, greenlighting the Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, and Resorts World New York City proposals. The panel said all three demonstrated the ability to generate substantial economic activity and jobs.
The board’s decision was the penultimate act in a yearlong process to bring full-fledged gaming to the New York City region. The state Gaming Commission will have the ultimate say. It is scheduled to award licenses to any or all of the finalists by year’s end.
The purveyors of each project ultimately awarded a license will immediately pay a $500 million licensing fee to the state, delivering a much-needed revenue boost for the government.
The board estimated that three casinos would collectively generate nearly $13 billion in new revenue for the state over the next decade, including taxes from gaming and hotels. The panel said it concluded that the benefits of gaming across the five boroughs outweighed the risks, such as those associated with gambling addiction. It also considered the possibility that three actualized projects, located within miles of one another, could potentially cannibalize the local gaming business. The members ultimately determined that the New York City market was strong enough to support all of them.
“The board approached these decisions with the utmost seriousness,” said Vicki L. Been, the chair of the location board, which convened at the CUNY Graduate Center in Midtown.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, in a statement following the announcement, thanked the board for its “careful review.”
“The three projects approved today promise to unlock billions in funding for the MTA and create tens of thousands of jobs,” Hochul said. “It is critical that they keep those promises. I look forward to the Gaming Commission’s review of the Board’s recommendations in the weeks ahead.”
Rendering of the Bally's Corporation's proposed casino gambling development, eyed for 16 acres at Ferry Point in the Bronx.
Bally’s Bronx is a $2.3 billion project located at Ferry Point and is projected to open by 2030. The project features a 500-room hotel, two parking garages and a 2000-seat event center as well as a golf course, night club and 10 food and beverage venues.
The Bally's project could ultimately benefit President Donald Trump. The Ferry Point site is currently home to a city-owned golf course, but Bally’s paid the Trump Organization $60 million for the lease. If the casino proposal is greenlit, Bally's would owe the Trump organization another $115 million.
The Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, helmed by Mets owner Steve Cohen, is a $5.3 billion project in Queens featuring two hotels, a 5,600 seat Hard Rock entertainment venue and 15 restaurants and bars.
It was arguably the most controversial of the three final bids, having been held up for a year by state Sen. Jessica Ramos of Queens on the grounds that it did not represent the interests of the local community.
Although Ramos refused to introduce land-use legislation key to the project, another legislator, state Sen. John Liu, stepped in, introducing the legislation and rescuing the project. As with the Bally’s Bronx project, it’s scheduled to open in 2030.
Rendering of the expanded Resorts World New York City casino gambling development, next to Aqueduct Racetrack, Queens.
Resorts World New York City, a $3.3 billion expansion of existing gaming facilities Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, would feature a new hotel as well as an expansion of an existing hotel. It would also include a 7,000-seat event center and day club, and would be scheduled to open next year, well in advance of the other projects.
The finalists were winnowed down in recent months from a pool of eight bids, all multibillion dollar projects that had varying degrees of support from local residents and other stakeholders. Each bid had to get past a community advisory committee, but some encountered significant local opposition.
The opposition was also apparent during the Monday announcement, when half a dozen demonstrators erupted in cries of “Shame on you!” before filing out of the auditorium.
Although the board’s words carry weight and come after significant analysis, Been said the Gaming Commission would be the final arbiter and could accept or reject the board’s recommendations.
“It is not a rubber stamp,” Been said.
This article was updated with additional information.
