New York City hit the trifecta on Monday as the New York State Gaming Commission gave final approval to three multi-billion-dollar full casino proposals in Queens and the Bronx, ending a years-long review process.
The commission awarded Bally’s a license to build a casino-hotel complex in Ferry Point Park at the former Bronx golf course owned by Donald Trump. It also provided licenses to two full casino bids in Queens: Metropolitan Park in Flushing and an expansion of the existing Resorts World New York City “racino” at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park. The Commission had the authority to grant up to three licenses for new casinos in the New York City area.
The decision was announced in a Dec. 15 public meeting at the Robert F. Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Harlem’s Riverbank State Park. It was something of a formality after the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board unanimously recommended awarding all three licenses in a Dec. 1 vote.
Delivering the verdict on Monday, Gaming Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer said the three bids represented thousands of “good, union jobs” for Queens and the Bronx.
However, O’Dwyer said the awarding of the license was contingent on each bid agreeing to sign a monitoring agreement with an independent third-party to ensure that the projects “do not deviate” from standards required by the state. The third-party, which must be approved by the Commission, will also be responsible for ensuring that each project delivers on substantial community promises.
“We will hear from you regularly,” O’Dwyer said, addressing the three bids. “We will ask the monitor to report on a quarterly basis to us as to how you have complied with the many wonderful promises that you have made to our communities over the next five years.”
Rendering of the Resorts World NYC Casino expansion plan at Aqueduct Racetrack.Resorts World New York City
O’Dwyer said the Commission will be closely monitoring each project to ensure that they are hiring minority and women-owned businesses.
Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, which operates Resorts World New York City, praised the commission’s approval of the organization’s full gaming bid, and promised quick action to get the plan moving in the months ahead.
“Resorts World New York City thanks the New York State Gaming Commission for today’s final approval,” said DeSalvio. “We look forward to opening within months as New York City’s first full commercial casino.”
Mets owner Steven Cohen, who launched the Metropolitan Park bid alongside Hard Rock International, welcomed Monday’s verdict, stating that the project represents an opportunity to improve the area surrounding Citi Field.
“Since the day I bought the team, the community and Mets fans have made it clear to me that we can and should do better with the area around the ballpark,” Cohen said in a statement. “Now, we are going to be able to deliver the sports and entertainment district that our fans have been asking for.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock Entertainment put out renderings of their Metropolitan Park casino and entertainment district proposal in Queens.CREDIT: SHoP Architects, Field Operations
Jim Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International, also welcomed the verdict, stating that Metropolitan Park will become a “global destination” for hospitality and entertainment.
“The Commission’s decision confirms the positive impact this project will have on New York City, the state, and the region, and we’re excited to build on our long record of delivering world-class entertainment experiences here in Queens,” Allen said.
Although the project will take years to complete, Bally’s Chair Soo Kim previously told the Bronx Times that he plans to begin construction immediately and can likely beat the expected completion date of mid-2030.
Inside the new casinos
A rendering of the proposed Bally’s Casino near the foot of the Whitestone Bridge in the Bronx.Bally’s
Bally’s plans to build a casino complex featuring 3,500 slot machines, 210 table games and 40 poker tables, a 500-room hotel, two parking garages totaling 4,600 spaces, a 2,000-seat event center, a nightclub, spa, food and beverage venues and retail shops, all on its existing Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course that President Trump formerly owned.
In return, the company has proposed a local benefits package valued at $765 million, including infrastructure and transit upgrades, funding for schools and organizations, NYPD substations and more.
Even Trump, who famously owned and bankrupted casinos during his career before becoming president, is a winner with the Bronx bid. As part of the deal that relinquished Trump Links to Bally’s, he will receive a $115 million payment from the gaming franchise for securing a full gaming license.
Resorts World, which already operates slot machines at its South Ozone Park location, has announced that it will expand to include table games as early as March next year. Both Metropolitan Park and Bally’s are anticipated to come online by 2030.
Resorts World has outlined a $5.5 billion proposal to transform the existing racino into a sprawling 5.6 million square-foot development that the gaming company says will create thousands of jobs, generate expansive public amenities and deliver new, inclusive growth for southeast Queens. It has also pledged a further $2 billion in community benefits.
Metropolitan Park, meanwhile, aims to transform 50 acres of Citi Field parking lot into a sprawling casino complex featuring a 25-acre public park, new shops and restaurants, a Taste of Queens food hall and the full-scale redevelopment of the Mets-Willets Point subway station.
The development, a joint venture by Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, also pledged to create 23,000 union jobs, with a priority for local hires.
Metropolitan Park will also feature a 1,000-key hotel, approximately 39% of which will be suites, and a 5,600-seater entertainment venue.
The $8.1 billion Metropolitan Park development includes up to $1 billion in community investment, including a 25-acre park, a Taste of Queens food hall and the refurbishment of the Mets-Willets Point subway station.
The three proposed casinos are expected to generate $7 billion in state gaming tax revenue over the next ten years, plus additional billions from other taxes.
The majority of tax revenue generated from the three projects will be evenly split between the MTA and the state’s Department of Education.
The three bids were the last remaining developments of what was once a crowded field to obtain a highly-coveted downstate license, with three Manhattan bids and one Brooklyn project voted down by relevant Community Advisory Committees (CACs). MGM Empire City, an existing racino at Yonkers Raceway with slot machines but no table games, later made the shock decision to withdraw from the process, leaving just three projects vying for up to three licenses.