THE BLUEPRINT:
New York approves downstate casino licenses for two Queens sites and one Bronx site.
Resorts World NYC plans a $7.5B expansion with a major gaming floor and hotel.
Metropolitan Park and Bally’s also move forward with multi-billion-dollar proposals.
Projects promise billions in revenue and tens of thousands of jobs statewide.
Two sites in Queens and another in the Bronx have received approval from the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board on Monday to be awarded the long-anticipated downstate casino licenses.
Genting’s Resorts World New York City, which had been one of the favorites for a license, and the Metropolitan Park proposal for property around Citi Field were the two Queens winners. The Bally’s plan for its Ferry Point golf course property in the Bronx was also recommended by the location board.
At one point, there were 11 sites vying for one of the downstate casino licenses, but most, including the Las Vegas Sands plan for the Nassau Coliseum property, dropped out of consideration along the way.
Rendering of the Resorts World project in South Ozone Park. / Courtesy of Resorts World NYC
The Resorts World gaming complex on the site of Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park has proposed to create a $7.5 billion resort on 72 acres of the 172-acre property that is also home to the racetrack and the headquarters of the New York Racing Association. Resorts World, which has been housing Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting’s 1,000 video slot machines, has proposed to create a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor with 6,000 slot machines and 800 live table games, a total of 2,000 hotel rooms, building on the 400 existing units at the Hyatt Regency, and a new 7,000-seat multipurpose entertainment venue, among other improvements.
“Resorts World New York City’s journey to this historic moment represents more than 15 years of work to generate jobs, revenue, and opportunities for our neighbors,” Robert DeSalvio, President of Genting Americas East, said in a written statement. “Resorts World New York City’s $7.5 billion proposal is the only bid that can expand operations in just 90 days, generating billions in new revenue for mass transit and public education over the next four years. We are thankful the Gaming Facility Location Board recognized the tremendous economic impact we will have for New York State.”
The Metropolitan Park Casino is a proposed $8 billion project by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that will be built on the parking lots west of Citi Field in Willets Point. The plan includes a Hard Rock hotel, a live entertainment venue, restaurants, a convention center and retail space.
The $4 billion proposal from Bally’s includes a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor with 3,500 slot machines and 250 table games, a 2,000-person event center, and several restaurants and entertainment venues.
The three sites still need the state Gaming Commission to ratify the location board’s recommendation by the Dec 31 deadline.
“The three projects approved today promise to unlock billions in funding for the MTA and create tens of thousands of jobs,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a written statement. “It is critical that they keep those promises. I look forward to the Gaming Commission’s review of the Board’s recommendations in the weeks ahead.”
Each of the three casino proposals will create thousands of construction and permanent jobs and are expected to generate billions in revenue.