Bally’s Bronx New York City Casino Resurrected After NYC Mayor Vetoes Council Decision
Posted on: July 31, 2025, 08:28h.
Last updated on: July 31, 2025, 08:53h.
- NYC Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed a City Council vote
- The Council voted against a land-use application from Bally’s Corp.
- Bally’s is seeking to build a casino resort in the Bronx
Bally’s Bronx is back after New York City Mayor Eric Adams vetoed a City Council decision that went against the company’s application to rezone a portion of the 222-acre city-owned parkland and golf course it manages.
Earlier this month, the NYC Council voted 29-9 against a Bally’s Corp. land-use application seeking to have part of Ferry Point Park rezoned for a commercial development. Bally’s has operated the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point, since acquiring the management rights from The Trump Organization in 2023 for a reported $60 million.
On Wednesday, Adams overturned the council’s vote via a veto. His long-rumored decision was based on the mayor’s belief that all boroughs being targeted for a casino resort should have such an economic opportunity.
The City Council’s decision to treat the Bronx differently than other boroughs goes against the publicly stated, in-favor positions of the Bronx borough president and other councilmembers representing working-class neighborhoods across the Bronx,” Adams said. “By rejecting the land-use application for this casino bid while approving three others in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, the City Council is putting its finger on the scale — and this is precisely the type of action that leads New Yorkers to lose faith in their elected leader.”
Adams’ veto, however, is resulting in some New Yorkers further losing faith in the mayor.
Mayor Motivations
Adams is an underdog to be reelected as mayor this November. On Kalshi, the political wagering exchange, bettors give the Democrat-turned-Independent just an 8% chance of winning a second term. New York State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens) is the frontrunner at implied odds of 80%.
Adams says his veto was to simply give the Bronx a chance for one of the three available downstate New York casino opportunities — multibillion-dollar developments that are expected to revolutionize each locality’s future with consistent tax revenue, well-paying jobs, and associated economic benefits.
Some claim the mayor has ulterior motives.
Adams’ campaign lawyer, Vito Pitta, is associated with the Bally’s Bronx bid. Adams’ former chief of staff and campaign chair, Frank Carone, is, too.
There’s also speculation that Adams is seeking a role in President Donald Trump’s administration should he lose the November election as expected. Trump’s business empire stands to receive a $115 million payment should Bally’s gain casino privileges on the Ferry Point Park site.
When the Trump Organization sold the golf course management license to Bally’s, it included the $115 million consideration in the transaction.
Bid Goes On
With Adams’ veto, Bally’s Bronx continues to its respective Community Advisory Committee, a six-person committee that must at least vote 4-2 in favor of the $4 billion project going before the New York Gaming Facility Location Board.
Republican New York City Councilor Kristy Marmorato, whose 13th District includes the Bronx and led the “no” vote against the Bally’s land-use application, will continue to fight against the casino resort.
I stand firmly with my constituents. We refuse to be a dumping ground for a project that, by the mayor’s own words, would bring an ‘economic boost to the surrounding community’ but not to the very neighborhoods it would disrupt,” Marmorato said in response to Adams’ veto.
The City Council can override a mayor’s veto with two-thirds support, or 34 votes.
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