Donald Trump Could Land $115M Payday if Bally’s Wins New York Casino License

^{A casino license for Bally’s could prove more profitable for US President Donald Trump than running casinos did. (Image: Yuri Gripas / Sipa USA / Alamy Live)}

The Trump Organization would earn a payout of $115 million if Bally’s wins one of the three available New York downstate casino licenses, thanks to a clause in the purchase agreement that saw the casino giant purchase the lease for the former Trump Links golf course in the Bronx.

The particulars of that agreement were made public when they were used as evidence in a New York trial last year, in which the state alleged that now President Donald Trump had been lying about the worth of his assets in financial statements. 

‘Gaming Event Fee’ Contingent on Casino License

That information was then publicized in a New York Times report on April 1. Judge Arthur F. Engoron levied a judgement of more than $450 million against Trump in the case, finding that he had fraudulently stated his net worth in order to convince banks to giving him favorable loans. Trump is appealing that ruling.

Bally’s purchased Trump Links in 2024, then changed the name to Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point. The company is hoping to build a casino resort adjacent to the golf course, a public course that sits near the Whitestone Bridge.

That purchase initially cost Bally’s $60 million, which game the company the remainder of the Trump Organization’s lease on the city-owned course. However, Bally’s also promised another $115 million as a “gaming event fee” if it were to earn one of the downstate casino licenses.

Lawmakers Expect Public Dissatisfaction with Trump Payment

It’s unclear whether the revelation of the potential Trump payout would have any influence – positive or negative – on the chances of a casino license going to Bally’s. Multiple local politicians told the New York Times that such a large windfall for Trump wouldn’t go over well in the city, but differed on whether that would have an appreciable impact on Bally’s odds of success.

“People were just happy to get rid of the name ‘Trump’ from the golf course,” Assemblyman Michael Benedetto (D-Bronx) told the Times, describing the payment as just part of the sale agreement and nothing more. “It was an embarrassment to the community.”

Others were more pessimistic.

“I think that a $115 million check to the Trump Organization will be a difficult pill for many New York legislators to swallow,” New York City Councilor Lincoln Restler told the Times.

The Bally’s proposal in the Bronx is one of nearly a dozen major projects vying for the three downstate casino bids. Applications for the licenses are due on June 27, with the Gaming Facility Location Board and the New York State Gaming Commission scheduled to award those licenses by early 2026. 

Leading candidates include two already operational racinos – Resorts World New York City, operated by Genting, and Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, owned by MGM Resorts – along with a Sands proposal on Long Island and the Metropolitan Park facility that has been proposed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen.