New York Board Recommends Three Casino Licenses for City Area
The state review board has recommended awarding three lucrative New York City-area casino licenses, moving plans for major developments in the Bronx and Queens closer to approval.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The New York Gaming Facility Location Board on Monday forwarded recommendations that would grant licenses to Bally’s for a development at Ferry’s Point in the Bronx, to a Hard Rock complex proposed adjacent to Citi Field in Queens by Mets owner Steve Cohen, and to Resorts World to expand its Aqueduct slot facility near John F. Kennedy International Airport into a full-scale casino. The recommendations will now go to the New York State Gaming Commission, which is expected to make final determinations before the end of the year; projected revenues from the new casinos have already been built into the state budget.
If approved, the licenses would mark the first full-scale casinos with live table games inside the New York City metropolitan area since voters approved a 2013 referendum authorizing up to three city-area licenses. To date, New York has brought online four full casinos upstate, while the city has hosted slot parlors and racinos without live table games.
The proposals vary in scale and investment. Bally’s has pitched a roughly $4 billion project on a city-owned portion of the Ferry’s Point golf course – land previously operated by the Trump Organization – after purchasing operation rights to the municipal course in 2023. Bally’s agreement includes an additional contingent $115 million payment to the city should it secure a casino license. In Queens, the Hard Rock proposal tied to the Mets’ Citi Field calls for an $8.1 billion resort featuring a 1,000-room hotel, a 5,000-seat performance venue, and substantial retail space. Resorts World has outlined more than $5 billion in upgrades to convert its Aqueduct slots operation into a full casino with table games, hotel rooms and expanded amenities.
Related: New York Continues to Shrink the Downstate Casino Competition
More Business News
Local Reaction and Economic Stakes
The Location Board highlighted community benefits pledged by bidders – ranging from public safety and transit improvements to roadway upgrades – and noted elements that strengthened each bid, including a Jack Nicklaus–designed golf component in Bally’s plan and Hard Rock’s promise to anchor a busy Queens corridor. Board members also emphasized job creation and tax revenue as core justifications for awarding the licenses.
Not everyone welcomed the recommendations. Anti-casino demonstrators were escorted from the Board’s meeting at the CUNY Graduate Center, chanting opposition to the projects. A local community organizer attending the meeting said, “Residents are worried that promised benefits won’t materialize and that neighborhoods will face traffic, housing pressure and social costs.”
Industry voices stressed the economic upside but cautioned on timing and market assumptions. A gaming analyst who reviewed the proposals commented, “These developments will transform local entertainment economies and generate significant tax dollars for the state, but they hinge on optimistic visitation forecasts and large upfront construction spends. Regulators will need to scrutinize the financial models and community commitments closely.”
The board’s action effectively eliminated several high-profile contenders earlier in the process. Proposals such as a Jay-Z–backed Caesars Palace in Times Square and additional Manhattan resorts failed to secure local advisory approval and were removed from contention. MGM also withdrew from the competition in October, citing shifts in economic assumptions for a planned Empire City expansion at Yonkers Raceway.
With final approval resting with the State Gaming Commission, applicants will face intensified regulatory review and negotiation over community benefit agreements, workforce commitments and mitigation plans for traffic and neighborhood impacts. The commission’s decisions will determine whether New York City joins other major U.S. metros with integrated resort casinos or continues to rely on upstate properties and racinos for gaming revenue.
RELATED TOPICS: Business
Latest News
Most Read
Seven European Regulators Agree to Share Data to Fight Illegal Online Gambling
Nov 26, 2025Must Read
Interviews
Review this New Post
Leave a Comment
User Comments
Comments for New York Board Recommends Three Casino Licenses for City Area