New York State will soon have three commercial casino licenses up for grabs, and NYC developers and gaming operators are already eyeing possible locations. Currently, some of the discussed potential sites include Times Square and Hudson Yards, there is also talk of a possible casino property in Willets Point in Queens and Coney Island in Brooklyn.
Back in April the New York State legislature officially included the fast-tracking of the three downstate casino licenses in this yearās budget. This will allow the introduction of the three licenses at least a year earlier. Mayor of the Big Apple, Eric Adams, has expressed his desire to see at least two of those commercial licenses in the city.
Preliminary Plans in Place
Real-estate brands such as Related Companies in Hudson Yards and Vornado and SL Green in Times Square are among the interested parties who want to introduce casino properties in their territories. They are willing to team up with gaming giants with Hard Rock, Sands, and Wynn in order to bring the said venue to life and have presented preliminary plans to Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state officials.
Representatives of Related Companies have already met with city officials to discuss plans for a potential casino on the far West Side. The company is a major developer in Hudson Yards, and a spokesperson for it, Jon Weinstein, commented that the real-estate giant is now weighing in on its options for a potential gambling site in Manhattan.
Thor Equities is also one of the interested parties, and the company wants to build a commercial gaming establishment in Coney Island. In an interview on Sunday, business mogul John Catsimatidis and the owner said that a casino amenity would be a wonderful addition to Coney Island and Brooklyn, as it in his opinion it would bring a lot of vigor into the borough.
Casino leader Hard Rock has already demonstrated a desire to wants to be part of an NYC gaming project. The company lobbyists have already met with City Hall Chief of Staff Frank Carone about developing a casino property. And have presented plans of one with the Metsā Cohen for a Willetā Point casino, which would be easily accessible via the No. 7 subway train, the Long Island Rail Road and the Grand Central Parkway and the Long Island Expressway.
Not an Easy Task
However, the said companies will have plenty of competition when it comes to the three commercial licenses. Currently, two existing gaming establishments are considered to be in pole position for two of them, Genting Americaās Resorts World New York City in Queens and Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts at Yonkers. If the two are selected for a license, the rest of the companies will have to battle out for the remaining one.
However, some Manhattan locals are not quite fond of the idea of bringing in a casino property in the borough. Previously, some residents of Kip Bay spoke against such a project. Diane Liotta said that she is not willing to to roll the dice on a casino property in near proximity to her home as it could attract shady characters.
Source: Campanile Carl, Hogan, Bernadette, Kosman Josh and Cuozzo Steve āNYC developers eyeing casinos for Hudson Yards, Times Square, Willets Point, Coney Islandā, New York Post, July 24, 2022
