Survey Shows Broad NYC Skepticism of Casino Expansion

Following the New York State Gaming Commissions’ decision to grant final approval for three New York City-based casino resort licenses, we surveyed 1,374 NYC residents to understand how locals really feel about the move, citywide and across all five boroughs.  

The poll reveals broad skepticism, borough divides, and distrust of casino developers and political leadership when it comes to gambling expansion in the Big Apple.  

Key Findings:

• The Bronx is the most opposed to casino development (71%), while Staten Island is the most supportive (40%) 
• Gambling addiction is the top concern (61%), while job creation is seen as the largest potential benefit (62%) 
• 60% think the negative social impacts of casinos outweigh their economic benefits 
• 80% say it’s inappropriate for Trump to profit from a casino city deal tied to his former golf course 
• 86% think the Mets organization should focus more on baseball and less on casino development 

Boroughs: The most and least supportive of casino development

The borough split shows that casino expansion is being felt very different across neighborhoods, especially for those that will be directly impacted: 

The Bronx shows the biggest opposition to the incoming casino expansion, while Staten Island shows the most support. For those in Manhattan, about 1 in 4 feel quite neutral about the city’s gambling plans.

Leading concerns for casino expansion

Across the five boroughs, 57% don’t agree with the decision to build three Las Vegas-style casinos in the Big Apple.

When asked what worries them most about the casino projects, New Yorkers pointed to social impact over everything else: 

Gambling addiction tops the list of concerns (61%), followed by worries about how much money is being poured into casino projects (60%). That skepticism fits a wider mood in the city, where 90% say New York City should focus on core needs like housing, parks, and transit instead of casinos.

Where New Yorkers see potential upside

Despite the skepticism, many do see potential upside (though it comes with caveats): 

Job creation is seen as the biggest potential upside, with 62% of respondents citing it as the top benefit. However, confidence in those jobs translating into lasting local gains is mixed: while 63% believe the jobs would benefit surrounding residents, only 32% agree that casino gambling will benefit local economies in the long term.

That tension reflects a broader divide. 60% of New Yorkers say the negative social impacts of casinos outweigh the economic benefits, suggesting residents remain torn between short-term opportunity and long-term consequences.

Trust, power and politics

When asked who New Yorkers trust to look out for their best interests on casino development, the results are striking: 

Deep skepticism is shown towards both government and wealthy developers; with stronger trust placed in elected officials, Zohran Mamdani, who has taken a vocal stance against casino expansion.  

Trump’s involvement stands out as a major point of contention. 71% of respondents report a ‘very negative’ view of the proposal to convert his former Bronx golf course into a casino that could benefit the Trump Organization, while 15% are neutral and 14% view it positively.

Another 80% of locals strongly agree that it’s definitely inappropriate for a president (former or current) to profit from a casino deal.

The Mets: Take me out to the… casino?

The proposed casino near Citi Field adds another layer to the conversation that many New Yorkers aren’t thrilled about.

Cohen’s involvement is viewed unfavorably by a majority of respondents. 51% report strongly disliking the Mets owner’s role in the casino project. At the neighborhood level, 45% anticipate a very negative impact, compared with 40% who expect no impact and 16% who anticipate a very positive impact.

Either way, a whopping 86% strongly agree that the Mets organization should focus more on baseball, rather than on casino development. Ouch.

Could the Big Apple become the East Coast’s Las Vegas?

When New Yorkers were asked whether the city’s planned casino resorts could realistically compete with Las Vegas as a major gambling and entertainment destination, optimism was in short supply.

65% say no, calling the projects ‘overhyped’ or a ‘cash grab’. 25% say maybe, expressing uncertainty about whether the resorts could live up to the pitch. Just 10% believe NYC could rival, or even beat, Sin City.

That skepticism carries over to how residents describe the projects overall:

55% say the casino developments are ‘something NYC shouldn’t be doing at all’, while another 21% dismiss them as a ‘watered-down Vegas knockoff’

Only a small minority see a brighter future. Just 12% describe the projects as ‘the Vegas of the East’ or ‘something different and better’

In short, while the vision may be grand, many New Yorkers aren’t convinced the city needs, or wants, a Vegas-style transformation.

Methodology

On December 17, 2025, we surveyed 1,374 NYC residents to gather their sentiments on the latest approved NYC casinos.

The average age of respondents was 38.9 years old. The representative sample comprised of 53.7% female, 45.3% male, 0.5% non-binary and 0.5% transgender.

The representative sample broken down by boroughs: 29% Brooklyn, 26.8% Manhattan, 26.3% Queens, 12.6% The Bronx, and 5.3% Staten Island.

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For any press questions, please contact rhiannon.odonohoe[at]casino.org