Wynn Drops Out of Race for New York Casino License

^{It would’ve been a cool spot for a casino, but with local residents loudly saying they didn’t want it, Wynn Resorts took the hint and bailed. (Photo: Anthony Behar / Sipa US)}

Wynn Resorts and Related Companies have announced that they are withdrawing their bid for a casino in Hudson Yards, removing one more contender in the race for the three available downstate casino licenses in New York.

Wynn made the announcement on Monday, ending the hopes for a $12 billion casino complex near the High Line. Related Companies released a similar statement later in the day.

Local Opposition Dooms Wynn’s Casino Ambitions 

The developers had planned to build a casino complex that would include office space, a public park, and around 1,500 residential units. 

However, the project faced intense opposition from locals. Some shared concerns about how the project would impact the High Line walking park, saying it would ruin the experience at the popular tourism spot. 

But the most common complaint was that the plan backtracked on a 2009 agreement between Related and the city. At the time, Related agreed to build 5,700 housing units on the site, many of which would have been earmarked as affordable housing. However, the company argued that this plan was no longer financially viable, and that only with the casino attached could it develop the site.

In December 2024, a Land Use Committee of Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4) voted unanimously to recommend against zoning changes necessary to allow the casino proposal. The full MCB4 then made the same unanimous vote against the proposal in January 2025, after which New York City comptroller Brad Lander also came out against the casino.

That local opposition appeared to be the nail in the coffin for the casino project, with Wynn acknowledging as much in its statement.

“After careful consideration, we have decided not to lodge an application for a gaming license in New York City,” Wynn spokesperson Michael Weave said in a statement. “The recent rezoning process has made it clear to us that there are uses for our capital more accretive to our shareholders, such as investment in our existing and upcoming developments and stock buybacks, than investing in an area in which we, or any casino operator, will face years of persistent opposition despite our willingness to employ 5,000 New Yorkers.”

Related Plans Residential Construction at Hudson Yards

Related Companies says that it still plans to build on the site. In a new proposal, the developer now says it will construct up to 4,000 residences – with at least 400 available at below market rate – along with a 6.6-acre park.

The withdrawal of the Hudson Yards proposal leaves nine major bidders as known contenders for the three available downstate licenses. 

MGM’s Empire City Casino and Genting’s Resorts World New York City are seen as likely favorites, thanks to their existing infrastructure as racinos. Meanwhile, fortunes have been rising for projects like Metropolitan Park, the brainchild of New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, while a Nassau Coliseum project once seen as a top contender is now without an operator after the withdrawal of Las Vegas Sands.