Map Shows New Casinos Planned for New York City

By Anna Skinner

Senior Reporter

ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Three new casinos won approval from the New York Gaming Facility Location Board on Monday, with the winning licenses going to New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and his partner Hard Rock International, Bally's Corp., and Genting Group's Resorts World, Bloomberg reported.

Newsweek contacted the board by email for comment.

Why It Matters

The new licenses mark a turning point for New York City's gambling landscape. The decisions are set to channel billions in private investment into the city, reshape neighborhoods, increase state revenue and create thousands of jobs. State officials have factored anticipated gambling revenues from these casinos into the annual budget, underlining their economic importance.

What to Know

Cohen plans to operate his casino near Citi Field in Queens, while Bally's Corp. constructs its gaming facility in the Bronx on a former golf course that was owned by President Donald Trump. Genting plans to expand a casino in Queens next to the Aqueduct Racetrack.

...

"The three projects approved today promise to unlock billions in funding for the MTA and create tens of thousands of jobs. It is critical that they keep those promises," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Monday.

Cohen's project exceeds $8 billion and will be built upon what is currently a parking lot next to the New York Mets baseball stadium in Flushing. The complex, called Metropolitan Park, will include the casino as well as an entertainment venue, restaurants, shops, a hotel, and a convention center, Bloomberg reported. Metropolitan Park is expected to be finished in 2030 and will garner $3.9 billion in revenue by its third year.

Resort's World proposed spending $7.5 billion for a resort that included a casino, 2,000-room hotel, an arena, and dozens of restaurants and bars. The proposal anticipates gaming tables to be available by March 2026, ABC 7 reported.

Bally's proposal included a $4 billion resort equipped with a hotel and event center with an expectation of $1 billion in gambling revenue once open.

The selection follows years of competing proposals and community input. A total of eight casino projects made it past early review stages, but only these three received key approvals.

What People Are Saying

Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for Cohen's Metropolitan Park, said in a statement according to ABC 7: "Following a fair, transparent and rigorous process, The Gaming Facility Location Board has validated the positive economic impact this project will have with billions of dollars in tax revenue, 23,000 union jobs, and over $1 billion in community benefits. We look forward to the Gaming Commission's review."

Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said in a statement according to ABC 7: "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."

Bally's, in its application for the gaming license: "This project will serve as a “place-maker” for the Bronx and give millions of patrons from Long Island, Connecticut, Westchester and Northern Jersey a reason to come to the city, and to do so much more than merely gamble but also to dine, shop, and stay in the Bronx. ... According to every governmental statistic and benchmark, the Bronx is the borough that suffers from a lack of economic opportunity. This is the opportunity to right these historic imbalances and award the Bronx this lucrative Public-Private partnership that it deserves."