[NYguy]

https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/us-new...c-casino-bids/

MTA hits jackpot, raking in $1.5B in license fees from winning NYC casino bidders


By Carl Campanile
Jan. 8, 2026

The MTA has hit the $1.5 billion jackpot, thanks to the state collecting massive fees dedicated to mass transit from each from three bidders awarded casino licenses.

Each of the three winning bidders are required to pony up a $500 million upfront license fee for the privilege to operate a casino.

Under state law, the money is redirected to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to fund the operations of its subway and buses and commuter rail lines.

Mets owner Steve Cohen, in tandem with gaming partner Hard Rock, have delivered the $500 million fee to operate a “Metropolitan Park” casino complex near the team’s ballpark in Willets Point, Queens.

Bally’s also cut a $500 million check for the right to build a casino at the former Trump golf course Ferry Point, in The Bronx.

The combined $1 billion has already landed in MTA coffers, the state Gaming Commission said.

“It’s the largest MetroCard swipe in history,” quipped Bally’s chairman Soo Kim.

Then he corrected himself, noting that the MetroCard has been replaced by the OMNY smart card.

Resorts World, which operates the slots parlor at Aqueduct and won a license to offer live table games, is in the process of delivering another $500 million earmarked for the MTA’s operating budget, bringing the total haul to $1.5 billion.

”Hard Rock Metropolitan Park and Bally’s Bronx have each remitted $500 million for their respective license, which have been transferred to the MTA,” said Gaming Commission spokesman Brad Maione.

“Resorts World New York City is in the process of completing paperwork necessary to make their remittance and committed to making such payment by the statutory deadline of January 15, 2026,” he said.

Transit riders are hitting the jackpot thanks to the historic funding Governor Hochul secured to rescue the MTA from its post-pandemic fiscal cliff. With these investments, millions of riders have better service, record levels of safety, and faster commutes,” a Hochul spokesperson said.

The MTA Financial Plan already assumes license and gaming tax revenues of $500 million in both 2026 and 2027, $600 million in 2028 and $200 million in 2029.