New York Legislators Considering Bill to Speed Up Casino Licensing Timeline

The New York Legislature is considering an amended version of a bill that would accelerate the timeline to issue licenses for up to three downstate casinos, though they’ll have to act fast to pass the bill before the end of the current session.

The amended version of Senate Bill S9673, first introduced by State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) back in May, was brought to the table by Addabbo and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) on Tuesday.

Amended Bill Requires Applications by Aug. 31

The original version of the bill would have required casino bids to be submitted by July 31, with the New York State Gaming Commission awarding licenses by March 31, 2025. That timeline would have required an extreme acceleration of a process that the gaming commission expects to last through at least late 2025. 

The new version of the legislation represents a compromise that aligns more closely with the commission’s own expectations. The bill now requires that the New York Gaming Facility Location Board make recommendations on the selection of downstate casinos by Dec. 31, 2025. The gaming commission would then have until January 20 of 2026 to make a decision, though it would also have the option for up to two 30-day extensions, which could push the final awarding of the licenses back as far as the end of March. 

The bill would still require potential bidders to get their applications in soon, with the deadline now set for Aug. 31. However, it doesn’t force officials to move up their current timelines for complex licensing procedures.

“This bill is about a process, let’s start the process,” Addabbo said, according to a Politico report. “Remember, all of these entities – and they’re all good, they’re all credible – they’ve had two years already trying to figure this stuff out. And we’re giving them another session year to do it. So there will be some sites that are just unattainable. If that’s the case, we gotta move on.”

Addabbo is likely referring to the land use issues that have plagued some potential casino bids. For instance, parkland alienation requirements have placed a high hurdle in front of Steve Cohen’s bid for a casino complex in the parking lots near Citi Field, while a potential casino at Bally Links in the Bronx faces similar issues.

The New York legislative session ends on Thursday night, but will likely go into the early morning hours on Friday, when Addabbo believes there is a chance the bill will pass as one of the final pieces of legislation in the Assembly. 

Resorts World Suggested Language for Licensing Bill

One criticism of Addabbo’s bill has been that an accelerated timeline could favor Resorts World New York City and Empire City in Yonkers – two existing racinos that could quickly expand into full casinos if licensed. Resorts World New York City is located in Addabbo’s Queens district. 

According to a report by New York Focus, much of the language from Addabbo’s original bill came from a draft version authored by Ali Rimkunas, associate counsel at Albany lobbying firm Cordo & Company, which counts Genting – the owner of Resorts World – among its clients. The report states that some version of the bill “were copied nearly word for word” from the draft, which was dated May 15.

While Addabbo told New York Focus that Resorts World had indeed suggested language for the bill, he discounted the idea that they were ultimately responsible for the legislation, saying it was written by his own legal counsel.

“Never does anyone have a verbatim, rubber-stamp authority from the outside, no less to get their bill written,” Addabbo told New York Focus. “And that did not happen here.”

(Image: Hans Pennink/Associated Press)