Manhattan Casino Bids Sunk By Community Advisory Committees

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New York’s gambling industry has seen a flurry of activity in recent months after the state announced three new lucrative casino licenses would be awarded by the end of 2025. Eight groups submitted multi-billion dollar proposals to build casinos in the City’s five boroughs and Yonkers.

Three of the proposals were slated for development in Manhattan, but all three have been struck down during votes by Community Advisory Committees. Critics say the proposals were always doomed to fail, but state Senator Liz Krueger doesn’t view the rejections as negative, saying she is happy to take credit for their rejection.

New York Gambling

While New York City is looking to expand its roster of retail casinos, online gambling remains unregulated in the state. Players can still play at offshore casinos as well as crypto casinos like slots.lv. Some gamblers also opt for other alternatives instead of slots.lv, which, according to online gambling expert Carlos De Lanuza, can offer instant payouts and are accessible to New York residents while offering expansive game portfolios and generous bonuses. They are also more accessible than physical casinos, even in cities like New York, which currently offers four retail casinos, two racinos, and tribal casinos.

New NYC Licenses

But, while many people enjoy playing online, there is still a lot of appeal in physical venues. The sense of excitement and opulence of walking into major casinos is unrivalled for some players. And cities like New York, with its huge footfall levels, can benefit.

Big casinos bring in big crowds, and they also generate big taxes. In light of this, and following a 2013 public vote to allow the expansion of casino gambling in the state, developers have been invited to submit casino proposals.

Casino License Proposals

Eight proposals were officially submitted, and there were high hopes that downtown New York might see its first casino, thanks to three Manhattan bids. However, as part of the bidding process, every proposal would undergo scrutiny by Community Advisory Committees (CACs), with members chosen by the governor and various other officials.

The CACs were agreed upon in a bid to speed up the licensing process. But critics have said that Manhattan casinos never had a chance of getting past this stage, and that’s a sentiment that Krueger agrees with.

All three Manhattan casinos received a positive vote from Governor Kathy Huchel and Mayor Eric Adams’ CAC appointees. But, proposals needed the approval of two-thirds of the committee members and, in all three cases, they failed to get that approval.

Who’s Left?

While the Manhattan projects have been voted down, five of the original proposals are still currently vying for the three licenses.

Resorts World in Queens wants to expand its current racino to a full-fledged casino. Mets owner Steve Cohen wants to build a casino in Queens with Hard Rock, while Bally's is hoping to develop in the Bronx.  MGM Empire City has put forward a proposal in Yonkers, and, finally, a Coney Island project has been submitted, although it looks highly likely that it will go the same way as the Manhattan projects have.

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