Daily Point
Two Casino Proposals Rejected, Boosting Odds for Remaining Contenders
Now, there are six contenders left in the casino proposal race.
Two of the eight casino projects did not advance on Wednesday, with the Community Advisory Committees for the Times Square and the West Side of Manhattan proposals voting 4-2 against them.
For any proposal to be considered for a license by the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board and Gaming Commission, it must first pass through the CAC. This leaves six proposals in contention for three available licenses. Each will undergo a CAC vote before September 30, with final license decisions expected by the year’s end.
The failures of the two proposals may enhance the chances for the remaining contenders, which include plans in Coney Island, the Bronx, Manhattan’s East Side, Yonkers, and two in Queens—one at Aqueduct Racetrack and another at Citi Field. Existing racinos, Resorts World at Aqueduct and MGM Empire City in Yonkers, along with the Citi Field proposal, are seen as frontrunners.
However, as the pool of options diminishes, it’s possible that the location board and Gaming Commission may opt not to issue all three licenses. A spokesperson from the Gaming Commission confirmed that while “up to three commercial casinos” can be awarded, there’s no guarantee that all licenses will be given. If three licenses are not granted in December, there could be another round of competition for additional casino licenses in the future.
Could this mean that Long Island might still see a full casino in the future? An informed observer noted, “The whole calculus changes if there’s another license out there.” With the zoning for the Nassau Hub now allowing gaming and an environmental review already completed, a new process could allow Las Vegas Sands to partner with someone else in efforts to develop the site, despite their earlier exit from the licensing competition.
State officials have a precedent to look back on; in 2014, the Gaming Facility Location Board awarded only three licenses, despite being able to give out four, to areas in the Catskills, Capital Region, and Finger Lakes. They later reopened the bidding for a fourth license in 2016, which was eventually awarded to a proposal in the Southern Tier. The same scenario could potentially unfold for downstate licenses if fewer than three are granted, leaving Long Island without one.
“If there are still casino licenses left to be issued, that’s a matter for the legislature to determine how that gets handled,” the Gaming Commission spokesperson remarked.
