New York Approves Three NYC Casino Licenses After Final Regulatory Vote
New York regulators on Monday granted licenses for three Las Vegas-style resort casinos in the city.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The decision clears the final regulatory hurdle for projects in Queens, the Bronx and near JFK Airport.
The New York State Gaming Commission voted to license the three remaining proposals at a public meeting in upper Manhattan, authorizing full-scale resort casinos at the site adjacent to the New York Mets’ Citi Field in Queens, at the Ferry Point parcel in the Bronx, and at a slot parlor on a horse-racing track near John F. Kennedy International Airport. The approvals were conditioned on each operator appointing an independent compliance monitor to verify that legal and community commitments are met.
Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer said the state expects the developments to deliver jobs, infrastructure investment and predictable gaming revenues. “These projects were evaluated on their ability to meet statutory requirements and live up to promises made to local communities”, O’Dwyer said at the meeting. “With the added oversight we have required, we will track that delivery closely.”
Governor Kathy Hochul, who has championed the expansion as a way to buttress mass transit funding and spur economic activity, welcomed the decision. In a statement following the vote, she said the licenses could unlock substantial revenue for transit and create thousands of jobs across the metropolitan area.
Opponents at the meeting and in community forums warned that the new casinos would increase problem gambling and neighbourhood disruption. A small group of protestors interrupted Monday’s session, chanting: “You picked a billionaire over New Yorkers! Shame on you!” in reference to billionaire sports team owner Steve Cohen’s involvement in the Citi Field proposal.
Financial Projections and Local Opposition
The Gaming Facility Location Board, which screened the competing bids, recommended awarding licences to all three finalists earlier this month, noting that the region’s dense population and substantial tourist flows could support multiple resorts. In its written analysis the board’s consultants projected a combined $7 billion in gambling tax collections between 2027 and 2036, plus about $1.5 billion in licensing fees and roughly $6 billion in additional state and local taxes.
While the state has factored casino revenues into recent budgets, the decisions mark the culmination of a long, contentious selection process. Several proposed developments were abandoned after local land-use boards rejected them, including three Manhattan proposals, a Caesars Palace plan tied to entertainer Jay‑Z for Times Square, and a proposed resort on the Coney Island boardwalk in Brooklyn. MGM Resorts, which had been an early contender, withdrew from the competition despite expressing local support.
One high-profile financial consequence of Monday’s votes concerns the Ferry Point site in the Bronx. Bally’s bought operating rights for the city-owned Ferry Point golf course from the Trump Organization in 2023 and agreed to pay an additional $115 million if awarded a casino license. That contingency now appears likely to be triggered; the Trump Organization has not issued a comment on the potential payout.
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Next Steps and Oversight
With licenses issued, operators must satisfy a range of pre-opening obligations overseen by the Gaming Commission and appointed outside monitors. Projects will move into permitting, final design and construction phases, subject to local approvals and environmental reviews. The timeline in consultants’ estimates suggests commercial gaming operations could begin in the region as early as 2027.
Industry analysts and public-health experts offered differing assessments. Michael Jensen, a gaming market analyst with Econsult Analytics, said: “From a fiscal perspective, these licenses are expected to generate significant, recurring revenue for the state and host communities. If operators execute as promised, the projects can bring a material boost to local employment and municipal coffers.”
By contrast, Dr. Emily Carter, director of the New York Center for Responsible Gaming, cautioned: “Large resort casinos bring increased accessibility to gambling, and without robust prevention and treatment funding, we will see a rise in gambling-related harms. Oversight must include mandatory contributions to prevention programs and clear metrics for community impact.”
Officials now face the task of ensuring the licensed projects deliver on job creation, transit funding commitments and neighborhood benefits while managing social risks and local concerns as construction progresses.
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