Inside the high-stakes battle to win a New York City casino license
Eight projects are bidding for a state license to operate a casino in the lucrative New York City market, each dangling the prospect of generational investment in America's largest metropolitan region.
But one — a Bally's casino proposed on a Bronx golf course once run by President Donald Trump's company — may have already run out of luck, after city lawmakers denied it a key approval this week.
All of the proposed casinos, in application materials submitted in recent days, promise to create thousands of new jobs, flashy new community amenities in the form of hotels, shops, restaurants and entertainment venues and billions of dollars a year in taxable gambling revenues for the state's coffers.
How realistic those promises are, though, is an open question, given the proliferation of casinos in the northeast and the explosion of online gambling in recent years, casino experts say.
Gambling industry spending big, but some locals aren't sold
The arrival of full-fledged casino resorts in New York City has been years in the making.
The gambling industry spent mightily to secure approval from New York voters in a referendum authorizing the licensing of up to seven full casinos with live table games back in 2013. But the state initially allowed upstate venues a head start.
The state's Gaming Commission says it hopes to finally award up to three downstate licenses in December. But before then, community advisory committees appointed by lawmakers and local officials will weigh community opinions of each plan.
Nearly all the casino proposals face some degree of local push back.
On Monday, the New York City Council denied Bally's a needed rezoning change following local resident concerns about the environmental impact of its $4 billion proposal, which also calls for a 500-room hotel and a 2,000-seat event center.
Bally's, which bought the former Trump Links course in 2023, had promised to pay Trump another $115 million if it were to secure a casino license, though that was not among the objections voiced by the Democratic majority on the council nor the Republican lawmaker representing the Bronx district. Spokespersons for Bally's declined to comment on the future of the project this week.
Not surprisingly, the debate over the proposed Times Square casino has taken center stage, with supporters and opponents recently holding dueling rallies in the Crossroads of the World.
Among the prominent groups opposed to the $5.4 billion plan is the Broadway League, a trade group representing America's performing arts theaters. It says a casino would draw patrons away from neighborhood businesses and threaten a theater industry still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project's backers have countered that the plan, which calls for renovating a skyscraper that currently houses the Minskoff Theatre, home of long-running 'The Lion King' musical, will actually boost demand for Broadway tickets.
The developers, which have also enlisted Jay-Z's Roc Nation to curate their entertainment offerings, promise $250 million in community projects, including a public safety plan designed by former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and a multimillion-dollar civil rights museum that helped earn an endorsement from the Rev. Al Sharpton.
The two other casinos proposed in Manhattan — one for its West Side and another on its East Side — could face similar headwinds, given their proximity to residential neighborhoods, according to casino experts.
But the proposed West Side resort, near the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey, could reel in business travelers and convention attendees, if it can win over locals, said Soojin Ha, a lecturer at Cornell University's business school.
Meanwhile in Brooklyn, organizers of the quirky Mermaid Parade are among those leading the charge against a Coney Island casino, arguing the plan would remove large chunks of the boardwalk's iconic amusement rides and block access to the public beach.
New York market could support 3 casinos, expert says
Since the 2013 referendum, four full casinos have opened in New York, though all of them are located upstate, miles away from Manhattan. The state also has nine gambling halls offering slot machines and other electronic gambling machines but no live table games.
Some three hours drive north of Manhattan are the Native American tribe-owned Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos in Connecticut. Two hours south are the New Jersey shore casinos of Atlantic City, and less than two hours due west in Pennsylvania is the tribe-owned Wind Creek Casino at the former site of Bethlehem Steel.
Despite the competition from seemingly all corners, New York City's dense market could sustain three gambling halls, depending on where they're located, suggests John Holden, a business professor at Indiana University who specializes in gambling law.
'We typically see fairly rosy revenue projections put out by the gaming industry, but the New York City market is really without comparison,' he said.
The state could hedge its bets by awarding two of the three licenses to proven winners: the racinos -- slot parlors built alongside horse racing tracks — that have been successfully operating for years in the New York City area, said Alan Woinski, a New Jersey-based gambling consultant.
MGM Resorts is proposing a $2.3 billion expansion of the Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway. Resorts World, owned by Malaysian casino giant Genting, is proposing a $5.5 billion investment to its gaming facility at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.
Those expansions, Woinski noted, could be rolled out in a matter of months, meaning the state wouldn't have to wait years for the construction of a wholly new site to start reaping the financial windfall.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Record 8,000 US students have applied to UK universities amid Trump's college crackdown
American students are applying for U.K. universities in record numbers amid Donald Trump 's college crackdown during his first few months in office. The Trump administration has intervened in higher education, pressuring states, colleges, and universities to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion programs while attempting to dictate curriculum. The president has also launched high-profile battles against institutions such as Harvard University, freezing billions of dollars in federal funding over alleged liberal bias and antisemitism and threatening their tax-exempt status. All of that appears to be driving American students across the Atlantic, with new figures from the U.K.'s university admissions service, UCAS, showing 7,930 applications from American students for the fall 2025 semester. It marks a nearly 14 percent rise on the previous year and the highest total since records began in 2006. The total number of U.S. students paying deposits to secure places on UK courses is up 19 percent compared to this time last year, according to Enroly. St Andrew's University is home to around ten percent of Americans studying at UK institutions. The prestigious university, which has educated the Prince and Princess of Wales, reported a 14 percent increase in applications, according to the Financial Times. Cara Skikne of Studyportals, a higher education data provider, said increased concern over campus freedoms had pushed more U.S. students to consider degrees abroad. 'Global universities are increasingly competing to attract students who feel unwelcome in the US, and at the moment that includes many of its domestic students,' she told the FT. Studyportals analysed student searches on its website to highlight another concerning trend: U.S. universities are losing their appeal to international students. Research published in June showed that pageviews for U.S. courses fell by 50 percent in the first quarter of the year, marking a post-Covid-19 pandemic low. Despite Trump's more restrictive approach to student visas and immigration policies, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the U.S. remains a welcoming place for British students. Last month, McMahon told The Times that she would like to continue 'to encourage' British students 'to come here and study'.
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Photos of US State Department workers getting hugs and applause as they're fired
Carrying boxes past signs of thanks for their service, fired State Department workers were hugged and applauded as they left their headquarters for the last time. More than 1,300 State Department employees fired in July, some focusing on intelligence activities, U.S. energy interests abroad, strategic competition with China and visa fraud. The lay offs are in line with a dramatic reorganization plan from the Trump administration. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
13 best affordable designer bags, recommended by a fashion writer
With bags from the likes of Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton consistently getting more expensive, many fashion fans are turning to mid-range brands to get their luxury fix. Owing to factors like rising production costs and inflation, iconic styles like the Birkin bag and Chanel flap now cost upwards of £10,000. The exclusivity of such high prices, status of the logo and investment value over time has always created an irresistible allure around luxury bags. But the tide is turning. 'As luxury prices have soared, we've found that customers are seeking quality and design over logos,' Rachel Bugg, accessories buyer at Selfridges, tells us. The mid-range bag industry is certainly booming – in Lyst's quarterly index of 2025's biggest brands, Coach sat at number four (behind Loewe, Miu Miu and Saint Laurent) with its Brooklyn bag crowned the hottest fashion buy of 2024. The New-York label has the It-girl seal-of-approval, too, with Bella Hadid stepping out with the empire carryall earlier this year. And it's not the only brand winning consumers over. Elsewhere, Longchamp's 30-year-old le pilage has built a loyal following thanks to its perennially chic look, while British brand DeMellier's handbags have been plumped for by the likes of Meghan Markle and Sofia Richie. Similarly, Parisian label Polene counts Kate Middleton and Lily Collins among its fans, with its minimalist leather bags starting from £160. In a climate of soaring bills and living costs, it's no surprise that fashion heads are questioning the value of heritage houses in favour of more relatively affordable brands. Costing anywhere between £120 to £500, mid-range labels easily rival the quality and craftsmanship of brands that are 10 times more expensive. Edinburgh-based label Strathberry, for example, crafts all its bags in a remote Andalusian village in Spain, where its factory brushes shoulders with the likes of Chanel, Lemaire and Dior. Bugg shares that there are a few mid-range brands currently dominating the style set's wardrobes. 'We've seen a high demand in Dragon Diffusion's 'Sante Croce' style with customers coming back to buy it in multiple styles and colours,' she says. 'DeMellier's 'New York' tote has been a standout this season, with an increased demand in suedes and faux croc fabrics over the classic black styles.' So, if you're looking for a new bag to add to your collection, save yourself a couple of thousand pounds by making it a mid-range style. To help you with your purchase, I've spent months testing the best affordable designer bags that deserve a spot in your rotation. How I tested Real-world testing: From small handbags for evenings out to summer styles for holidays, work-appropriate totes and capacious styles for travelling, I've taken these bags to the office, on city breaks and on days out. Comfort: Considering each bag's merits, I looked at comfort when carrying, as well as their day-to-day practicality thanks to the straps on offer, from shoulder to crossbody or clutch. Quality: I considered the durability and craftsmanship of each bag, to ascertain if the style is a worthwhile investment. Style: Not only did I assess how versatile the bags are when it comes to styling, but I also took note of trends and timeless design details. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Daisy Lester is a senior shopping writer at The Independent. She specialises in reviewing fashion, so can identify what makes a great accessory, keeping an eye out for comfortable materials. She knows the brands to turn to for high-quality designs while still keeping budget and value for money in mind. The best affordable designer bags for 2025 are:
