New York State Gaming Commission Will Consider Downstate Casino Licenses Next Week

• The New York State Gaming Commission will consider downstate casino licensure on Monday, Dec. 15
• Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, and Resorts World New York City will all be considered
• The New York State Gaming Commission has until Dec. 31 to officially award the casino licenses

New York is potentially on the cusp of several new awarded casino licenses.

The New York State Gaming Commission today announced it will consider downstate casino licensures for Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park at Willets Point, and Resorts World New York City in Queens during its Monday, Dec. 15 commission meeting at 1 p.m.

The New York State Gaming Commission has until Wednesday, Dec. 31 to award the licenses.

Nearing End of Years Long Process

The New York State Gaming Commission will award up to three licenses for new downstate casinos before the year is out, putting an end to a process that began with eight submitted casino applications in 2023.

The gaming commission will evaluate proposals from Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park at Willets Point, and Resorts World New York City in Queens, which were all selected for licenses by the Gaming Facility Location Board on Monday, Dec. 1.

“The Gaming Commission has already undertaken the background investigations of the applicants and is expeditiously applying its statutory license suitability criteria to ensure that these casinos are operated with utmost integrity and fiscal responsibility. A New York gaming license is a privilege – and this Commission will ensure those entities fortunate enough to be selected for licensure meet New York’s rigorous standards,” the New York State Gaming Commissioners noted in a released statement.

Resorts World is planning a $5.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot proposal for a casino in Queens; Bally’s Bronx proposed a $4 billion, 3 million-square-foot facility in the Bronx; and Metropolitan Park, a partnership between Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, proposed an $8 billion casino and open space project on 50-acres of an asphalt parking lot at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.

Whittled Down From Eight Original Applicants

The New York State Gaming Commission received eight applications for downstate casino licenses from 2023 through 2024. The original applicants were as follows:

• Bally’s Bronx
• Hard Rock Metropolitan Park
• Resorts World New York City
• MGM Empire City
• Caesars Palace Times Square
• Freedom Plaza
• The Avenir
• The Coney

MGM Empire City, which many believed to be a frontrunner for a casino license, unexpectedly withdrew its license bid in October.

The company announced it would no longer pursue its Empire City Casino renovation and expansion project, noting that since it submitted its application in June “the competitive and economic assumptions underpinning our application have shifted, altering our return expectations on the proposed $2.3 billion investment.”

MGM Resorts proposed to renovate and expand the Empire City Casino in Yonkers was the first project unanimously approved by the Community Advisory Council. MGM planned to add 183 live dealer games and a 5,000-seat venue for concerts and shows at the facility. MGM Resorts purchased the property in 2019 and had planned to begin construction and renovations within months if it was awarded a license. The facility currently offers horse racing, slots, and video gaming to the public.