Coney Island Casino CAC Public Hearing Draws Heated Debate Between Supporters, Opponents

^{Opponents have protested the Coney Island casino hearing since June 2025, warning the project would disrupt the neighborhood’s character and strain local infrastructure. (Photo: Gordon Donovan / Alamy)}

Nearly 100 community members stood in line to share their thoughts about “The Coney,” the proposed casino on Coney Island in Brooklyn, during the first public hearing of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that controls the project’s fate.

The CAC will vote on whether to further the proposal to the Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB), with four positive votes from the six-member committee needed to move the bid to the GFLB, which will ultimately choose who wins the three downstate casino licenses available in New York.

Supporters Promote Jobs, Economic Development

The $3.4 billion development is being headed by Thor Equities, a private equity firm that has shared a vision of a transformed Coney Island. Developers promise not only a casino, but also a hotel, convention center, and concert venue, as well as retail stores and restaurants. The project promises around 5,000 permanent jobs, along with $200 million for a community trust fund.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the developers argued that a casino could help Coney Island become a year-round destination.

“Coney Island is very seasonal,” Thor Equities Senior Vice President Peter McEneaney said during the meeting. “The ability to create year-round activity there is the No. 1 thing we’ve heard from many people in the community.”

There were community voices who spoke out in favor of the casino bid as well. Many of those supporting the project point to economic development and new jobs as their primary concerns. 

“The financial gain of the community will rise definitely,” said Wilfred Alexander, who supported the casino. “The value of the area will rise, and that may open doors for future opportunities for the people out here to make things better.”

Opponents Say Casino Won’t Fit Coney Island

But others questioned just how valuable the jobs the casino would bring to the community would be.

“Are [the jobs] going to have security? Are they going to have benefits so that you can support your family?” asked Cathy Phillips, a casino opponent. “The dealers, they’re not people anymore – they’re machines.”

Others questioned how a casino would impact the already existing infrastructure issues facing Coney Island.

“People have literally died waiting for an ambulance,” Brighton Beach resident Ida Sanoff said. “They just can’t get around the geography problem. The infrastructure is outdated. The electrical system is outdated.”

But since the proposal was first announced, the biggest argument against the casino has been that it simply doesn’t fit the Coney Island community, nor its reputation as a family-friendly vacation spot.

“What we’re really being asked is to accept a future where our streets are privatized, our residents are displaced, and everything that makes Coney Island ours is traded for the profit of the developer,” a local resident who identified himself as Roman said to the committee.

The Coney is one of eight projects remaining in the race for three downstate casino licenses. That includes seven total proposals in New York City, including the Metropolitan Park proposal adjacent to Citi Field and Caesars Palace Times Square.