New York Casino Race Attracts Eight Applications for Downstate Licenses

^{Somewhere across this city, a new casino or three will be built. Where exactly is the billion-dollar question to be answered before the end of this year. (Photo: Aashish Kiphayet / Alamy Live)}

The application deadline for the three available downstate casino licenses in New York has come and gone, with eight projects submitting bids for the lucrative slots in the New York City area. 

There were no surprises as the deadline to submit applications passed on Friday, June 27, with the eight known projects that were still in the running all applying, while no surprise groups entered the fray at the eleventh hour. 

Contenders Now Face Community Advisory Committees

The now finalized bids are as follows:

• MGM’s Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers
• Genting’s Resorts World New York City at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens
• Metropolitan Park, a proposed casino complex adjacent to Citi Field being developed by Hard Rock International and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen
• Caesars Palace Times Square, a proposal from Caesars Entertainment, SL Green, and Roc Nation
• Freedom Plaza, a proposal near the United Nations developed by Mohegan Sun and the Soloviev Group
• The Coney, a Coney Island proposal backed by Thor Equities
• Bally’s Bronx, which would be located at Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx
• The Avenir, Silverstein Properties’ proposal to build an integrated casino near the Javits Center

All applicants are now required to complete any environmental reviews by September 30, 2025. Each project will then be subjected to review by a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that will determine if there is adequate local support for the proposal, including via holding public hearings. An affirmative finding by a two-thirds majority of the six-member CAC is required for the application to be further considered.  That CAC vote must also take place by Sept. 30. 

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Queens) praised the process for moving forward. Addabbo, the chair of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, had previously supported efforts to speed up the licensing process.

“The downstate casino gaming expansion brings substantial economic development opportunities with job creation, better entertainment choices for our communities and improved programs to address problem gambling,” Addabbo said in a statement.

Addabbo also noted the importance of maintaining the integrity of the licensing process.

“I trust that Governor Hochul, along with the Gaming Commission and the Gaming Facility Location Board, will maintain the highest standards throughout this entire process,” Addabbo said. “Their leadership, together with their expertise, plays a crucial role in achieving a fair and competitive selection process which will benefit all New Yorkers.”

Bidders Emphasize Strengths While Submitting Applications

As the applications came in on Friday, many of the bidders sought to publicly emphasize why they felt their projects stood out from the crowd.

“In order for the jobs to stay in Manhattan and the tourists to be able to visit Manhattan and generate the tax revenue, the city, the state, and the MTA desperately need,” Silverstein Properties Chief Marketing Officer Dara McQuillan said when asked about the importance of a Manhattan casino such as The Avenir. “It makes sense to have one of them here.”

Steve Cohen emphasized the amount of local support Metropolitan Park has garnered when releasing a statement announcing the submission of its application to state officials.

“This is the product of over four years of working hand in hand with the community, local leaders, and Mets fans,” Cohen said.

And other projects, such as The Coney, have focused on what they’ll be giving back to their communities should they be chosen for a license.

“$200 million investment in the community, but also the public safety piece, which is the $75 million which goes to EMS, FDNY, and NYPD based on what their needs are,” The Coney’s Robert Cornegy said when explaining what Coney Island would receive in community benefits.

Following the summer of CAC meetings and votes, bids that are approved at that stage will be forwarded to the Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB), which will make its final decision by December 1, 2025. The New York State Gaming Commission will then award up to three licenses by Dec. 31, with each winner required to pay a $500 million licensing fee.