From Jay-Z and Nas to Al Sharpton and Donald Trump, NYC Casino Bids Have Many Celebrity Attachments
Posted on: July 1, 2025, 10:48h.
Last updated on: July 1, 2025, 11:31h.
- Several casino bids for New York City have celebrities attached
- Jay-Z and Rev. Al Sharpton are supporting Caesars Palace Times Square
- Nas is backing Resorts World New York City in Queens
There are eight bids for the available downstate New York casino licenses. With only three licenses up for grabs, several proposals are betting on celebrities’ likeness to shorten their odds of being awarded one of the coveted concessions.
The New York Gaming Facility Location Board’s Request for Applications period concluded last Friday. The state agency that will ultimately decide where the three casinos are located fielded eight bids.
The next steps in the process involve eight Community Advisory Committees reviewing the specifics of their associated bid. The developers behind the schemes are also given until September 30 to acquire all necessary entitlements and land-use zoning approvals.
The CACs will then vote on whether to move their bid before the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, which is scheduled to render the three winners by December 1. With each bid fielding at least some public pushback, several proposals have brought on celebrities and influential native New Yorkers to help rally support.
Rappers at Odds
Jay-Z isn’t just a spokesperson for the Caesars Palace Times Square bid but also a key stakeholder in the $5.4 billion proposal through his Roc Nation. The Brooklyn native thinks a casino at 1515 Broadway, a skyscraper he’s visited countless times to appear on MTV, would best benefit NYC.
There’s no better location for a Caesars Palace entertainment destination than the Crossroads of the World,” Jay-Z wrote in an open letter to New Yorkers in 2023. “Our bid honors the city of dreams, New York City, and the people who have made this place we call home the cultural and entertainment capital of the world. This is our moment, our opportunity to capture the energy of Times Square and invest in our city. You’re a New Yorker, you get it.”
Rev. Al Sharpton, born and raised in NYC, recently lent his support to the Caesars Palace Times Square initiative.
“Thanks to the leadership and vision of Jay-Z, we believe that for the very first time our community will not only have a seat at the table but also the opportunity to have a stake in the ownership of Caesars Palace Times Square,” said Sharpton.
Nas, also a native Brooklynite like Hov, is supporting the Resorts World New York City scheme in Queens near JFK International. Resorts World is currently a video lottery and electronic table game racino.
Nas and Jay had beef for many years, though they eventually ironed out their differences, and they both support the development of full-scale casinos with slots, live-dealer table games, and retail sports betting in the five boroughs. Nas, however, says Resorts World and Queens should be prioritized over Caesars and Times Square.
History in the making,” Nas wrote on Instagram following the RWNYC application submission. “Let’s build something legendary for the community. Let’s bring the future home.”
Coney Island is also being targeted for a casino. The development group has tapped former NBA player Isaiah Whitehead, a Brooklyn native from Coney Island who most recently played with the Nets, to rally support.
“I love the idea of a casino coming to Coney Island just for more opportunities for people around the neighborhood,” Whitehead said. “It would make Coney Island that destination like it was when I was a kid. Coney Island just makes sense.”
Trump Involvement
Seemingly, no public affairs matter is immune from President Donald Trump, and that holds in the New York City casino race. Though not directly involved, the president’s family company stands to make $115 million should Bally’s Corp. be among the three winners.
The Trump Organization sold the golf course lease at Ferry Point Park in 2023 to the casino company for $60 million. The transaction’s terms included a provision that requires Bally’s to pay Trump an additional $115 million should it receive a license to operate a casino on the city-owned land.
In May, Bally’s Chair Soo Kim opined that his bid was being overlooked by city officials because of the Trump component. But last month, Mayor Eric Adams backed an ordinance that allows a casino to be built at Ferry Point Park in what was a key development in Bally’s submitting its bid.
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