Addabbo Pushes for Faster New York Casino License Decisions as SL Green Hopes for Second Chance

^{New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo is pushing for decisions to be made quickly in the downstate casino race, saying the three licenses should be given to the three reminaing bidders. (Photo: Lev Radin/Sipa USA via Alamy Live News)}

With New York's downstate casino licensing race narrowed to three contenders for three licenses, State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Queens) is calling on gaming officials to make act quickly and award licenses to the qualified bidders as soon as possible.

The New York Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) is scheduled to award up to three licenses by Dec. 1, 2025, with the New York State Gaming Commission finalizing those decisions by the end of the year.

Addabbo Says Delays Will Cost Money and Jobs for New York

The three remaining bidders include Resorts World New York City, Bally’s Bronx, and Metropolitan Park, which is backed by Hard Rock International and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen.

There’s nothing in the licensing process that requires the GFLB to approve all three of those bids for licenses. However, Addabbo says he expects all three to qualify, and delays are only costing New York both money and jobs.

“I don’t see why the state wouldn’t award the last three licenses to the last three applicants,” Addabbo told Bloomberg. 

The number of contenders for the three downstate casino licenses was abruptly cut from four to three when MGM dropped out of the process last week. The move came as a surprise to almost everyone involved in the New York casino race, as MGM’s Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway was considered a favorite to snag one of the available licenses. 

However, MGM cited a proposed change to the state’s casino terms that would have cut the licensing length from 30 years to 15 years as a key reason for its decision to drop out.

While at least 11 serious bids were originally vying for the three slots, several dropped out earlier in the process, including a Las Vegas Sands proposal at the Nassau Coliseum. Four others were eliminated after failing to get the required votes from their respective community advisory committees. 

SL Green CEO: Times Square Casino Not ‘Completely Dead’

But one of the most high-profile rejected casino projects isn't giving up hope of somehow snagging a license just yet. SL Green – the developer which had partnered with Roc Nation and Caesars Entertainment – still sees a pathway for Caesars Palace Times Square, no matter how narrow that may be.

SL Green CEO Marc Holliday told investors during third-quarter earnings call last week that the project was doomed by “a process that put so much power in the hands of so few,” while saying that dreams for a Times Square casino aren’t “completely dead” just yet.

“The whole process and the outcome is still unknown,” Holliday said. “How many bidders will there be? How many licenses will be awarded? And whether, if any are held back, there’ll be another shot…for casinos in Manhattan or otherwise to come into play.” 

New York’s casino process was designed to encourage competitive bidding, particularly in terms of the state’s share of gaming revenue. But with just three bids remaining for three available licenses, developers may have little incentive to offer more than the minimum required financial share to the state. 

Even if one or more licenses do become available again, Caesars Palace Times Square would be far from guaranteed to benefit. Community opposition to the project was high, and even if the state insisted on a casino in Manhattan, several other bidders could also get back into the contest, including the Avenir and Freedom Plaza.