NEW YORK | Casino Development| FT| FLOORS

[NYguy]

A little more clarity on the prospect of space geared to casino gaming in these proposals:

The Coney Island casino is proposing about 400,000 sf of gaming space (with about 450,000 sf of parking). The Sands in Nassau county is proposing about 400,000 sf of gaming space (with 4 msf of parking). The Hudson Yards casino would be about 250,000 sf of gaming, and the Times Square casino would also be about 250,000 sf of gaming. The Resorts World casino at Aqueduct would expand up to about 350,000 sf of gaming (up from between 200-250,000 sf).


For comparison of gaming spaces for scale, the largest in Nevada as ranked:

https://www.playusa.com/largest-las-...alley-casinos/

(While Las Vegas is known for its casinos, gaming hasn’t been the number one revenue generator for over two decades.
Last year, 73.4% of Vegas Strip casino revenue was from non-gaming parts of the properties. Gaming only contributed 26.6% of the revenue to these casinos.)

-Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno is the largest in Nevada : 225,615 square feet of gaming space

- Wynn has the largest Vegas Strip casino floor : Between the Encore and Wynn hotel towers the property has a total of 191,424 square feet of gaming space

-MGM Grand: 156,524 square feet

-Bellagio: 156,000 square feet

-Aria: 152,550 square feet

-Mandalay Bay: 152,000 square feet



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Some Atlantic City casinos in no particular order...

https://www.atlanticcityvacationrent...c-city-casinos

- Caesars Atlantic City: This iconic casino resort features over 100,000 square feet of gaming space

-Harrah's Resort Atlantic City: This casino resort features over 150,000 square feet of gaming space

-Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: opened in 2018 and features over 130,000 square feet of gaming space

-Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa: This casino resort features over 200,000 square feet of gaming space

-Ocean Casino Resort: Atlantic City's newest casino : over 100,000 square feet of gaming space

-Tropicana Atlantic City: This casino resort features over 100,000 square feet of gaming space

-Bally's Casino: features over 160,000 square feet of gaming space

-Golden Nugget Atlantic City: This casino resort features over 74,000 square feet of gaming space

-Resorts Casino Hotel: This casino resort features over 100,000 square feet of gaming space







* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



The largest casinos in the US are in neither of the 2 places long known for casinos in the country.

https://www.gambling.com/us/news/lar...the-us-2237800


1 WinStar World Casino & Resort Thackerville, Okla. 400,000

2 Mohegan Sun Uncasville, Conn. 364,000

3 Foxwoods Resort Casino Mashantucket, Conn. 340,000

4 Thunder Valley Casino Resort Lincoln, Calif. 250,000

5 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Fla. 245,000

6 Riverwind Casino Norman, Okla. 287,000

7 Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel Highland, Calif. 222,000

8 Choctaw Casino Resort Durant, Okla. 218,000

9 Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Mt. Pleasant, Mich. 210,000

10 Encore Boston Harbor Everett, Mass. 210,000



WinStar World Casino & Resort, Thackerville, Okla.
It's the world's biggest casino with an unrivaled gaming space.



Chickasaw Nation, which owns WinStar, is part of the Coney Island bid.


https://www.localcontent.com/saratog...ainment-venue/

Saratoga Casino Holdings, The Chickasaw Nation & Legends Join Thor Equities’ Bid for Coney Island Casino, Hotel & Entertainment Venue

By Tenicka Chaney
May 1, 2024

Saratoga Casino Holdings has a proven track record and runs the most successful racino in Upstate New York. A New York, family owned-and-run casino and hotel operator, Saratoga Casino Holdings has expanded its operations to Colorado and Mississippi following its opening the first non-tribal racino in 2004.

Saratoga Casino Holdings operates 175,000 square feet of casino gaming space with more than 2,100 slot machines, table games, a poker room and two sportsbooks – plus several entertainment venues, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars.

Despite its enviable successes, Saratoga Casino Holdings has made it a point to give back at home, investing in New York’s future with more than $1.2 billion in contributions to the New York State Education Fund – approximately 48 percent of its gaming revenue.

Global Gaming Solutions is a business entity of The Chickasaw Nation. Collectively, GGS, and The Chickasaw Nation operate more than 25,000 Electronic Games, 2,000+ hotel rooms, 30+ restaurants and dozens of retail outlets. The business portfolio includes the largest casino in the world, WinStar World Casino and Resort which hosts 9 million guests annually. The Chickasaw Nation also employs nearly 13,500 people.

“We currently enjoy an excellent strategic partnership with Legends at our flagship property WinStar World Casino and Resort. Our investment and involvement in this project reflects a desire to expand that relationship and extend it to additional strategic partners in Thor and Saratoga,” Global Gaming Board Chairman Bill Lance said.

“We look forward to a successful collaboration based on our combined strengths and perhaps most importantly – our shared commitment to develop a top-tier entertainment venue that promises to respect the history of the neighborhood and breathe new life into this iconic New York City landmark. We look forward to taking our partnership with Legends – a known and trusted entity in New York – to even greater heights.”

Legends, the venture’s entertainment partner, brings three decades of experience delivering in the New York, national, and global markets – ranging from stadiums to concert venues to conventions. Originally founded as a joint venture with the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys, Legends understands the importance of Coney Island’s success to our city and state. The organization brings with it not only its unsurpassed record but a commitment to union employment opportunities in Coney Island and for the greater Coney Island Community.

“Legends is proud to work with Thor Equities and our gaming partners Saratoga Casino and The Chickasaw Nation to provide our operational and experiential expertise to bring the preeminent resort casino in New York to Coney Island,” said Bill Rhoda, President, Legends Global Planning. “This incredible resort will be a world class entertainment destination, with gaming, a variety of restaurants and entertainment for locals and tourists year-round.”

[NYguy]

1515 Broadway


JULY 4, 2024

[NYguy]

• Video Link




https://www.longislandpress.com/2024...mission-sands/

Las Vegas Sands Lease of Nassau Coliseum OK’d Despite Protests





By Michael Malaszczyk
July 18, 2024

Despite protests – and counter-protests – the Nassau County Planning Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to hand the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale over to the Las Vegas Sands casino company.

The lease was proposed on June 20, and gives Sands control of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and its surrounding land for 42 years. Sands wants to build a casino on the property, a move supported by both Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and his allies in the Republican-majority county legislature, which voted 17-1 to approve a casino last year.

“The casino has no implication on what we’re doing today,” said Grant Newburger, director of communications of the AFL-CIO-affiliated Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk counties, which celebrated the news. “Sands is the employer who is going to keep paying for our people that are unionized, local Long Islanders. This is the entity that is trying to take over the Coliseum right now. We all live on Long Island. And we just want to feed our families and I want to make sure they can go to work tomorrow.”

Anti-casino advocates rallied outside of the building as well, stressing the need to consider the long term implications of building a casino in Nassau.

“The change in the culture [with a casino] is going to be profound,” George Krug, Garden City resident and member of the Say No To The Casino Civic Association, told the Press. “What this does to parents looking at Hofstra as a prospective school for their kids, when they’re driving up, to check out the school that they might want to send their son or daughter to and they see there’s a Las Vegas style casino right next door literally across the street, and they learned that it’s the second largest casino in the country bigger than any casino in Las Vegas, they’re going to be looking at other options, right? I firmly believe that years from now, if this casino gets built, people are going to think of Nassau County in terms of before the casino and after the casino.”

[DCReid]

Long article but here are snippets including about the Related Hudson Yards proposal:

https://www.bisnow.com/new-york/news...oposals-125222

...Titans of the real estate industry hoping to build a grand casino in New York City are battling for the prize expected to be worth billions, but their most important fight might not be against each other. Instead, the winning bidders must win over the hearts and minds of their neighbors' local politicians — a task that looks increasingly daunting for some of the highest-profile bidders...Each casino proposal must go before a six-member Community Advisory Committee, with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, the local Senate and Assembly members, the local city council members and the borough president each appointing one individual to represent the local area. Two-thirds of the CAC have to agree that the casino proposal would be in the best interest of the community...

Related Hudson Yards proposal:
"Another proposal that finds itself needing to overcome staunch political opposition is Related’s bid for the uncompleted second phase of the $25B Hudson Yards megaproject, on which the developer is partnering with Wynn Resorts...The proposal has been talked about as a favorite to win, Crain’s New York Businesss reported. But elected officials, including Assemblyman Tony Simone, whose district includes the site, have voiced significant skepticism. Influential nonprofit Friends of the High Line, which operates the park under license from the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, has also come out in opposition to Related's bid...Manhattan Community Board 4 declined to comment to Bisnow but rejected the proposal more than two years ago. Now, Friends of the High Line’s view may add to pressure on local elected officials...This week, a state lawmaker representing the area covering Related’s Hudson Yards proposal has come out in opposition to the developer’s plan...

[NYguy]

Yes, there is strong opposition to these casinos, as expected. And we have yet to even begin the process.

We won't see the actual full casino details until the bids come out (bids aren't due until the end of June, next year). But we've already gotten some of the general views and components (streets, parking, etc.) of the proposals.

The approvals moving forward through City Planning currently are for the site plans which will make it possible to bid on the casinos. This is what we have to look forward to:






And this is who will ultimately decide if the casinos can even make it to the final round (4 of 6 must approve):









https://www.amny.com/opinion/make-new-york-city-work/

Op-Ed | How to make New York City work for working-class New Yorkers


By Rev. Dr. Johnnie Melvin Green
July 26, 2024

As the pastor and founder of Mobilizing Preachers and Communities (MPAC), a civil rights and faith-based organization in Harlem dedicated to justice and equality, I am deeply familiar with our city’s cost of living crisis. Every day, I hear from my congregation and community about the escalating prices of rent, food, and utilities, all while unemployment remains stubbornly flat.

....As the cost of basic needs continues to rise faster than earnings, middle-class New Yorkers are struggling to keep up. Our city is in desperate need of opportunities that bring new jobs and economic benefits to those who need them most.

Fortunately, such an opportunity is on the horizon. With three downstate casino licenses now up for grabs, New York has a chance to extend an economic ladder to the middle class. The debate over whether New York City should have a casino is long past… three are coming and we must make sure we maximize this opportunity to create jobs, economic development and the community benefits all the operators are promising.

It seems obvious to me that one of those casinos should be located in tourist-rich Manhattan, where it would be accessible to New Yorkers across the city and state. While no operators have made their full bids public yet, early details about a casino at the Western Rail Yards on Manhattan’s far west side are particularly compelling. The $12 billion investment would create 35,000 construction jobs and 5,000 new permanent union jobs–jobs that many folks in my community could benefit from.

The economic impact of a new casino in Manhattan would be far-reaching. Creating a new destination would benefit local business owners, leading to potential business expansion and the creation of even more jobs. This development would not only provide immediate economic relief but additional assets like affordable housing, a new school and a nearly six-acre park, which would be long lasting.

Investing in developments like the one planned for the Western Rail Yards have yielded incredibly high returns for some communities across the country. The most comparable example to a Manhattan casino, the Encore Boston Harbor Hotel and Casino, has generated over $1.3 billion in direct and indirect economic impact for the region while supporting more than 9,900 jobs, according to a report from the Economic & Public Policy Research (EPPR) at UMass Amherst. This is just one example that illustrates how Wynn can make an impact in New York City, as casinos have in other cities as well.

Despite the potential for a big return, there is significant opposition from wealthy public interest groups. Recent opposition to the rail yards project uses coded language like “protecting the character of the neighborhood.” Our response must be clear: we cannot allow the wealthy to block jobs and housing for working-class New Yorkers. As our city becomes increasingly unaffordable, we must prioritize the needs of all residents, especially those in communities like mine.

A Manhattan casino offers a unique chance for economic advancement that our community desperately needs and the rail yards proposal is particularly strong. With proper regulation and community engagement, this project can bring transformative benefits to our city.

The success of this project could serve as a model for future developments across the city. By demonstrating how a large-scale project can bring tangible benefits to local communities, we can encourage more initiatives that prioritize the needs of working-class New Yorkers. This approach can help bridge the growing divide between the wealthy and the working class, creating a more prosperous city for all New Yorkers.

We cannot let the privileged stop communities of color and the working class. For the future of our city, we must embrace new developments that will strengthen and build up our middle class and our economy. There isn’t a moment to waste. We must act now to secure a better future for our city and all its residents.

[NYguy]

https://www.politico.com/newsletters...field-00172336

Get in, loser. Cohen’s casino team is hiring.


By JASON BEEFERMAN and SALLY GOLDENBERG
08/01/2024

After a rough stretch, billionaire Steve Cohen is holding a hot hand.

One of the most powerful but little-known people in the state Legislature is joining the ranks of the sprawling and highly-compensated team behind the Mets owner’s casino bid, Playbook is first to report.

And the move gives Cohen another in with state Senate leadership after losing the support of Jessica Ramos, whose backing is critical for his quest to build a high-end gaming facility with a hotel, concert venue and a park next to Citi Field.

Eric Katz, who served as lead counsel to the state Senate majority for the past three years — one of the highest non-elected positions in the Legislature — is joining Cohen’s Metropolitan Park as its general counsel, a spokesperson for the company confirmed.

Shontell Smith, who was both counsel and chief of staff to the Senate majority as recently as 2022, now works on behalf of Cohen’s bid through her role as a partner at lobbying and consulting firm Tusk Strategies.

Katz will face a two year ban from lobbying the Legislature directly, while Smith’s ban is up. She can now work to persuade her former colleagues — namely Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins — to approve Cohen’s project even without Ramos’ coveted backing.

Cohen will need all the legislative firepower he can muster as he attempts to convince Senate leadership to pass a bill to free up the city parkland next to the baseball stadium to make way for the casino. (The site is currently a parking lot.)

Traditionally, legislative moves to free up city parkland would need buy-in from the local lawmaker — in this case Ramos. But she has been adamant in her opposition following a series of spats with Cohen’s team, even as the Mets owner spent millions of dollars to sway her and her community otherwise. (The bid has support from the local Assemblymember, borough president and City Council member.)

In May, Stewart-Cousins also seemed unlikely to advance a parkland bill without approval from Ramos. A state Senate source says her opinion has not changed.

Stewart-Cousin’s staff declined to comment.

[NYguy]

https://www.casinoreports.com/new-yo...icensing-wars/

New York City Casino Licensing Wars — How Long Will The Battle Last?
One local official has termed the saga to this point ‘an embarrassing picture of ineptness’


By John Brennan
July 31, 2024

The licensing approval and then the eventual opening of four commercial casinos in 2016 and 2017 in upstate New York was a relative breeze compared to the current second phase of planned casino expansion in the state.

That would be the awarding of three casino licenses in the New York City area — sites that would bring in dramatically larger amounts of tax revenue to the state than their upstate counterparts.

First, look to the 2022 New York State budget, which established a different siting process for the city licenses. Rather than the New York State Gaming Commission having final say as was the case previously, a Gaming Facility Location Board was created to determine the casino sites. (The commission’s only role would be potentially disqualifying applicants for reasons of “fitness and character” of the project’s leadership.)

The GFLB’s five members each were appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. But before any bid even reaches the desk of the GFLB members, a Community Advisory Committee for each application first must approve the project after ensuring that all zoning requirements are met.

Also, two-thirds of the members of each CAC must approve the application, and failure to pass that hurdle would end a project’s chances — seemingly with no avenue for appeal.

The latter wrinkle is why the timeline is so difficult to project. While those in upstate regions mostly embraced the idea of casinos as major job providers as well as a lure for desired tourist dollars, most of New York City and nearby surrounding counties already are heavily congested. The idea of even more people arriving to clog city or county streets and further crowd public transportation options has left many local elected officials reluctant to endorse a casino proposal in their neighborhoods.

According to earlier legislation, bid applications initially were to be due by Aug. 31, 2024. A consultant would also be hired by each CAC by the same deadline, and those committees must be established by Oct. 30. The CACs then would vote on any application in their neighborhoods by Feb. 27, 2025.

But later in June, the Gaming Facilities Location Board announced a new scheduling goal. The first half of 2025 would involve a series of Q&A requests of the board and the commission, with applications due on June 27 of next year.

The members of each CAC would be announced shortly afterward — and this may be the life-or-death phase for each project. That’s because at least some of the members chosen either already will have announced their sentiments on the project, or at least will be perceived as a likely supporter or opponent even before voting begins.

The rest of the summer would be spent on at least two public hearings — “raucous” would be a betting-line favorite in some cases, if such odds existed — before CAC voting deadlines of Sept. 30, 2025.

The location board’s updated timeline has approvals being granted by Dec. 1, 2025, and licensure approvals occurring within 30 days after that — maybe.

That’s because the board, contrary to the wishes of some eager lawmakers and even the state gaming commission, continues to set longer-range timelines.

“The Board could allow itself an additional thirty days deliberation to January 31, 2026 upon good cause,” members wrote. “Also under the proposal, the date for action by the Commission would be a moving target, being thirty days following the vote by the Gaming Facility Location Board, or an additional thirty days, upon good cause. This means that the earliest vote could be on January 31, 2026 or as late as March 31, 2026, depending upon the Gaming Facility Location Board and the several possibilities for good-cause extensions.”

This has caused state Sen. Joseph Addabbo, Jr. to lash out at what he sees as an “embarrassing” and unnecessarily drawn-out process.

“I mean, it’s going to wind up taking us longer to get approvals than it took to build the Empire State Building, and that was about 80 years ago,” Addabbo said. “Interested parties have had two years already to get a sense of whether they could get the relevant approvals from the relevant people. So why all the delays? There is no valid reason. And I am hearing that there are applicants who are getting very frustrated.”

[NYguy]

• Video Link

[NYguy]

Will have to read more about this later, but Cohen has filed his land-use application for a casino in Queens…

[NYguy]

https://www.covers.com/industry/gove...ns-aug-12-2024

Governor’s Silence Could Delay New York Casino Plans
Efforts to speed up the casino license bidding process in downstate New York have stalled as Governor Kathy Hochul remains silent on Senate Bill S9673A.


Mia Doyle
Aug 12, 2024

With New York Governor Kathy Hochul yet to make a move endorsing or condemning Senate Bill S9673A, which would speed up the casino license bidding process in downstate New York, the legislation brought forth by Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow now appears defunct.

The legislation, which aims to accelerate the submission deadline to Aug. 31, conflicts with the timeline set by New York’s Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) last month.

If the legislation does not pass, the original timeline set by the GFLB remains in place.

According to the current schedule, the 11 companies bidding for one of three new casino licenses will have until June 2025 to submit their plans. The board will then publish its decision by December of the same year. If this schedule remains, the operators who win one of the coveted licenses won’t be able to break ground until 2026 at the earliest, opening their doors months or years later.

overnment law professor and former New York State Racing and Wagering Commission member Bennet Liebman highlighted the impracticality of expecting casino operators to submit multi-billion-dollar project proposals in such a reduced time frame. As Newsday reports, Liebman also believes the governor’s silence is indicative of her decision.

“It’s obvious — it’s the middle of August!” says Liebman. “Sorry, but you’re not going to say to these casino developers: ‘You have two weeks to put in your application for a $10 billion casino.’ That’s just not going to happen.”

Liebman isn’t the only critic of the bill to invoke Gov. Hochul’s silence on the matter. “Practically speaking, the bill is moot,” said Michael Hershman, CEO of the Soloviev Group. “The governor hasn’t spoken out for or against the bill. But her lack of action speaks volumes.”

https://www.casino.org/news/times-sq...-labor-unions/

Times Square Casino Plan Wins Support of 17 Labor Unions


Todd Shriber
August 12 2024

In a letter to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, State Assemblymember Tony Simone, and City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, whose areas of representation include the proposed location for Caesars Palace Times Square, union representatives said they back the proposal and believe a gaming venue in the theater district will benefit the entire city.

"The team behind Caesars Palace Times Square knows and understands New York City,” wrote the union leaders. “They recognize that when Times Square thrives, the entire city thrives. And they are prepared to invest billions of dollars in converting the office building at 44th Street and Broadway into a world-class gaming, hospitality, and entertainment destination, an investment that will transform the economic life of Times Square.”

Signatories of the letter are as follows: Steamfitters Local 638, Mason Tenders’ District Council, Cement & Concrete Workers District Council #16, Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local Union 137, Cement Masons’ Local 780, Plasterers’ Local 262, Tile, Marble & Terrazzo BAC Local Union No. 7 of New York & New Jersey, District Council 9, Painters and Allied Trades International Union, Roofers Local Union No. 8, Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local Union No. 1, Sheet Metal Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local Union 28, Local 12 Heat and Frost Insulators of New York City & Long Island, International Union of Elevator Constructors Local One, United Association of Journeymen & Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the US & Canada, Plumbers Local 1, Building Material Teamsters Local 282, New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 3.

As is the case with many of the downstate casino proposals in New York, the Times Square plan has its share of detractors and supporters. Groups opposing Caesars Palace Times Square believe the venue will cause more crime and traffic congestion while not benefiting local businesses.

Conversely, backers believe the gaming venue will help Times Square regain tourism that hasn’t fully recovered since the coronavirus pandemic while serving as an important jobs creator.

“Not only will the development of Caesars Palace Times Square provide jobs for our members, it will also serve as a catalyst for local economic development, attracting visitors from around the world and stimulating spending at surrounding restaurants, hotels, and retail establishments,” according to the union letter. “SL Green, Caesars, and Roc Nation estimate that a gaming and entertainment venue in Times Square will attract in excess of 10 million new visitors to New York City annually.”

[NYguy]

Slightly related, but it was never discussed where Paramount would move should SL Green get a casino license at 1515 Broadway...


https://w42st.com/post/paramount-to-...-cutting-push/

Paramount to Lay Off Workers at Times Square and W57th Street Offices Amid Cost-Cutting Push





by Dashiell Allen
August 21, 2024

Media giant Paramount Global plans to lay off hundreds of workers across its Times Square and W57th Street locations, amid multimillion dollar cost-saving efforts.

The company will let go of 469 employees out of its New York workforce of 7,576 — a little over 6% — according to a notice posted to the NY Department of Labor Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Unit’s website (WARN).

The layoffs will begin on November 11 and continue through February 14, 2025, according to the notice. The workers are not represented by a union.

The majority of employees losing their jobs work at Paramount’s 1515 Broadway offices (bw W44/45th St), the same 54-story building where SL Green, Caesars Entertainment and Roc Nation are bidding to build the first casino in New York City.

Next to Paramount’s doors, a purple and blue advertisement celebrates “the opportunity of a lifetime for local businesses, for Broadway, for all of us,” above a glitzy rendering of the theoretical Caesars Palace Times Square.

[Lestorke80]

Originally Posted by C.

New Jersey had a chance at capturing some of the Manhattan gaming market, but politicians wanted to keep the Atlantic City monopoly on life support. Looks like New York is being smart and will capture all that gaming revenue. I don't know who visits Atlantic City to gamble, but I'm thinking one or two casinos in Manhattan is going to cut into their market share.

New York City is the greatest city in the world and that should include being able to legally pay a game of blackjack or Texas Hold'em poker if I'm so inclined to spend my money on that entertainment. That stupid so-called casino in Queens doesn't count.
While we're waiting for Manhattan to get its act together, exploring online options can be a great alternative. I recently found great site with reviws on https://casinosanalyzer.com/casino-bonuses/winz.io, especially winz io promo code was a pretty solid experience. The variety of games and bonuses they offer are impressive. It’s a fun way to get your gaming fix and see what’s out there!

It’s surprising how New Jersey’s politicians have been so protective of Atlantic City. A few casinos in Manhattan could definitely shift the gambling scene. NYC has always been about diverse entertainment options, so having a few legal gambling spots right in the city makes sense.

[NYguy]

https://www.playny.com/addabbo-intro...nsing-process/

Addabbo To Introduce Bill To Bring Integrity To ‘Embarrassingly Delayed’ Downstate Casino Licensing Process


By Grant Lucas
September 3, 2024

Flashback: March 1930, five months after Black Tuesday set off the Great Depression, construction began on the Empire State Building. Less than 14 months later, one of the most iconic structures in the world opened its doors.

Here we are now, 93 years later. We’re two years removed from New York lawmakers voting to expedite three downstate casinos. Yet we still do not know who will be receiving those licenses. We still don’t know exactly where those casinos will go. And as Sen. Joseph Addabbo sees it, there is still no real end date to when that all will change.

Two years after helping decide to bring fully fledged casinos to the New York City area, which Addabbo calls “embarrassing.” Addabbo added that the longer this process drags on, the more he becomes worried about the process itself.

At the beginning of summer, lawmakers approved a bill that would set deadlines for the downstate licensing process, which could allow for licenseholders to offer NY online casinos once the state legalizes iGaming.

That bill, however, sat on the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul and went unsigned.

“I’m disappointed,” Addabbo said not only of Hochul’s decision to not sign the bill but also that this licensing process has dragged on for as long as it has.

“We gave the governor the opportunity to codify certain deadlines related to the downstate licenses so that New Yorkers and unions and electricians and plumbers and everybody else could figure out when these jobs would be created. And the governor saw fit not to sign a bill that has deadlines because this is a process that has languished about for two years now.”

Addabbo said he’s “just trying to get the process started.” It’s been over two years since lawmakers voted to expedite downstate licensing, “and we still have seen very, very little movement forward in those two years.”

For perspective, voters approved seven casino licenses in 2013 with four carved out for immediate use. All four were open within five years. The Gaming Facility Location Board may not announce downstate recipients until early 2026 – nearly four years after the 2022 vote.

“The current applicants that we think of, they’re getting frustrated,” Addabbo told PlayNY. “They’re ready. They’ve been ready. And now they’re getting frustrated because of the delay.

.....in January, when the legislative session begins, Addabbo plans to introduce new legislation that will codify the deadlines of the downstate licensing process. Doing so “lends credibility to the process,” Addabbo said, “because right now it’s lacking.”

“She should, hopefully, sign that,” Addabbo said, referring to Gov. Hochul. “And then we’ll at least know when these licenses will be in effect and who will be awarded a license.

[NYguy]

Can we maybe see some progress? Wouldn't count on it, but there's talk...


https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...state-casinos-

State senator says no more delays on downstate casino licenses as Hochul considers bill to expedite


By Jack Arpey
Sep. 16, 2024

The state Legislature authorized up to three new casino licenses in the downstate region back in 2022, but progress has been slow. Now one lawmaker is saying enough with the delays, as the state Gaming Commission says decisions on where those casinos will be are still over a year away.

Earlier this year, the Gaming Commission updated the due date for applications to June of next year, with decisions to be made in December 2025.

The bill retains a Dec. 31 due date for recommendations, but set an Aug. 31, 2024 date for applications to be due, with the hope that an earlier deadline could result in earlier decisions.

That date has now passed, but Addabbo said when the governor considers the bill, the due date could simply be adjusted. The point, he argued, is to ensure that timeline is legally galvanized in state law and there are no further delays.

He emphasized that there is simply far too much revenue and far too many jobs at stake to risk the process being delayed any further, including revenue for the MTA in light of the congestion pricing pause.

“These are great union jobs. We’re talking about each site having at least a thousand construction jobs, for post-construction each of them having 2,500,” he said.

[NYguy]

https://pagesix.com/2024/09/23/enter...50m-in-grants/

Jay-Z sweetens pot on Times Square casino bid with $250M in proposed grants to Hell’s Kitchen


By Ian Mohr
Sep. 23, 2024

Jay-Z is looking to sweeten the pot on his Times Square casino bid.

The rap icon and Roc Nation will commit more than $250 million in grant money for Hell’s Kitchen if they land the bid to create a Caesars Palace Times Square casino, Page Six has learned.

The hip hop mogul’s Roc Nation-led group would give an initial $15 million to the local community — plus regular grants based on .5% of the casino’s performance.

The Caesars Palace Times Square team has already met with residents of Manhattan Plaza — the famed affordable housing development for artists — to clue them in on the potential benefits, we hear.

Jay-Z said in a statement announcing the grant initiative: “We are New Yorkers. Supporting and providing opportunities for our neighborhoods and community isn’t just a part of Roc Nation’s ethos… it’s our collective responsibility.”

The “Empire State of Mind” artist added, “Any proposal that wins a gaming license will undoubtedly profit. Our vision is to give back to New York and ensure that the Broadway community, Hell’s Kitchen, and the
surrounding businesses and areas all benefit. And not just for a minute, but for the long-term.”

The Roc Nation plan would distribute grant funding via a new trust controlled by community residents, the group contends, and the “$250 million community funding promise” would include
improvements in Times Square, Hell’s Kitchen and surrounding areas.

Casinos can earn anywhere from $1 million to $10 million per day, The Post has reported. (Nevada, where the US’s gambling epicenter lies, reported gross gaming revenue of $13.43 billion in 2021.)

Roc Nation’s group says its bid is getting support from “over 150 organizations and businesses
including restaurants, hotels, residents, unions and Broadway stakeholders.”

[NYguy]

Steve Cohen's vision for Queens...


https://www.metropolitanpark.com/images

[Busy Bee]

Oh piss off with that.

Though the 7 train entry looks sharp. Maybe we could get him to just fund that.

[BK1985]

The renderings are nice but this feels so suburban....

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Oh piss off with that.

Though the 7 train entry looks sharp. Maybe we could get him to just fund that.

Scrap the casino, but keep the new 7 train entrance and build that nice shed with stalls to house the Queens Night Market.

[k1052]

Looks like something you would build in the Dallas suburbs. And that is not a compliment.