Resorts World Catskills is one of four upstate New York casinos that opened since a state law in 2014. “I just want to make sure that they cannot bigfoot any specific neighborhood to take a casino that they don’t wish to have there,” she said.Īsked if she thinks Manhattan residents would back a local casino, she responded: “My gut is that there would not be community support for a casino in almost anywhere in Manhattan.” Are two of the three casino licenses accounted for?

But if the bidding goes forward, she wants to ensure that community support would be a critical factor in the siting.

Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) has long opposed any gambling expansion in New York. And if one was awarded, it’s at least three years down the road” from getting all the regulatory approvals and being built, he said. “I honestly don’t see a location that a third license would go. Pretlow suggested finding a suitable location for a third casino may be a hard sell - even in a city with 8 million people. There’s already sizable resistance from community leaders and lawmakers to putting one in Manhattan, as well as brewing opposition to one in Brooklyn and Yonkers borders the Bronx, where many of Empire City’s customers and workers already live. So even with strong support among powerful leaders, Genting and MGM would still need to emerge from a lengthy review process.Īnd there’s another factor being contemplated: It’s unclear where a third casino would go if two of the licenses end up in Queens and Yonkers. If approved, the state Gaming Commission would establish a bidding process to apply for the licenses, similar to how four upstate casinos were picked in 2014. Setting off high-stakes negotiations among casino giants to get a foothold in New York City - the largest untapped gambling market in the nation. Kathy Hochul proposed a state budget last month that would move up the timeline, State law does not allow the new licenses to be given out until 2023, but Gov. So if we can do a conversion, then it’s a slam dunk for Genting and MGM.” “We’re looking more toward conversion: if you can convert an existing facility to a full-fledged casino, then that would be acceptable,” said Assembly Racing and Wagering Chair Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon).

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