MGM Empire City, Resorts World, and Hard Rock Will Likely Win New York Licenses
Posted on: September 23, 2025, 03:22h.
Last updated on: September 23, 2025, 08:57h.
- The bidding war for the three downstate casino licenses will officially end December 1
- MGM, Genting, and Hard Rock have emerged as the frontrunners
The race for the long-sought-after downstate New York casino licenses is presumably over. The three likely winners come as little surprise to Casino.org’s Todd Shriber, as well as me, who for many months have been predicting which bids will prevail.
In recent days, the Community Advisory Committees (CAC) for Caesars Palace Times Square, The Avenir in Hell’s Kitchen, and Freedom Plaza in Midtown East all voted 4-2 against allowing the multibillion-dollar investments to move forward. The New York Gaming Facility Location Board, which is to award the three coveted downstate gaming concessions before December 1, can only consider bids that secure a three-fifths majority support from their designated CAC.
Though five applicants remain, only four are expected to field CAC backing. They are MGM Empire City in Westchester County’s Yonkers, Resorts World New York City at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, and Metropolitan Park at Willets Point in Queens. A fourth casino bid — Bally’s Bronx — is also likely to field a CAC endorsement. But the Bally’s plan comes with a myriad of concerns.
Empire City and Resorts World have been considered the downstate casino front-runners throughout the process. Analysts and gaming industry experts have long thought that MGM Resorts and Malaysia-based Genting would be awarded a slots, live-dealer table games, and retail sports betting license in exchange for their longstanding community commitments and investments in the region.
Coney Island DOA
The Coney is a project from Thor Equities, Saratoga Casino Holdings, the Chickasaw Nation’s Global Gaming Solutions, and Legends. Designed to revitalize the Brooklyn seaside town into a year-round destination and an economic uprising through new jobs, taxes, and local investments, the bid has faced stern backlash from the community.
Brooklyn Community Board 13, which serves only in an advisory capacity to the City Council, has formally opposed the $3 billion casino. Though The Coney CAC vote isn’t expected until September 29, at least three of the committee members have already confirmed they are “nay” votes.
The Coney CAC Chair Justin Brannon, a city councilmember representing the Brooklyn neighborhood, is among the opposition.
Coney Island must remain the People’s Playground. A place where hard work, grit, and fun in the sun for everyday New Yorkers always comes before profit. For that reason, I will not support the Coney Island casino,” Brannan said.
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-Kings, Richmond counties) will also vote no.
“Since the New York State Gaming Commission’s casino licensing process began and The Coney’s application was presented, I was clear that I would allow this process to play out, but would ultimately vote in the direction of what the majority of the community that I represent wants, needs, and deserves. After taking part in two public hearings with my constituents about their thoughts, perspectives, and concerns regarding this application, I have decided to vote in opposition,” she said.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said The Coney pitch was “deeply unimpressive and unresponsive to the needs, desires, and rich history of the Coney Island community.”
Metropolitan Park
Hard Rock and Steve Cohen’s casino bid at the billionaire’s Citi Field, where his MLB New York Mets play, has continually been seen as a strong application. Its odds only improved when Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts folded on their NYC projects, and CAC votes went against Caesars, The Avenir, and Freedom Plaza.
The Metropolitan Park CAC will have at least one “nay” vote in state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens). But Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Assemblymember Larinda Hooks (D-Queens), and New York City Councilmember Francisco Moya all publicly support the casino.
Only a fourth endorsement, either from appointees of Gov. Kathy Hochul or NYC Mayor Eric Adams, would move the Hard Rock/Cohen project to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board. Designees from Hochul and Adams have voted in favor of all three dismissed projects, and are expected to vote “yay” on all remaining applications.
Bally’s Bronx Odds Lengthy
In the Bronx, there is also stern community opposition to Bally’s Corp.’s plan to build an integrated resort casino at the Ferry Point Golf Links, which the company manages on the city’s behalf. The Bronx Community Board 10 has voted against the Bally’s Bronx bid, and in July, the New York City Council rejected a necessary land-use zoning change to allow the commercial gaming business to operate on the city parkland.
The Bally’s Bronx scheme was saved singlehandedly by NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D), a wildly unpopular politician whose critics say he vetoed the council’s decision simply to gain favor among the Trump administration. Adams says the Bronx only deserved to be considered like the other boroughs.
The Trump Organization would receive $115 million if Bally’s wins a downstate New York gaming license, terms that Trump included in selling the golf course lease to Bally’s in 2023.
New York City Councilmember Kristy Marmorato (R-Northeast Bronx) is almost certainly a “nay” vote for Bally’s Bronx. But Sen. Nathalia Fernandez (D-Bronx), Assemblymember Michael Benedetto (D-Throggs Neck), and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson have voiced support for the Bally’s plan.
With Adams having a vote, along with Hochul, Bally’s Bronx gaining four “yea” votes seems likely. However, because of the New City Council’s opposition to allowing the casino to operate on city-owned parkland, and many concerns regarding Bally’s struggling corporate finances and its ability to raise capital, it’s expected that the Gaming Facility Location Board will go with the Hard Rock plan.
Last Comments ( 2 )
The Aqueduct Racetrack is is Queens, not Brooklyn. Please check for errors before you publish.
If any Nevadan based gaming operations wins a location in NYC or anywhere in NY, I call them out to conduct an investigation into the entire process by all applicants and tell the public there was no bribery or other illegal actions in determining which company gets what location, as well as, what was paid out by all companies to all persons, to be considered. All persons would be lobbyists, attorneys, who then pay lobbyists, political donations, paying relatives or friends of politicians, etc. Deep inside of me tells me this whole process has milked tens of millions, if not more, from interested parties, In 2012 MGM spent upwards of 40,000,000 to “back” a statewide referendum in Maryland to enable the National Harbor license, which they eventually obtained that license. Then they paid the state licensing fee of like 20+ million for National Harbor then paid around 80+ million for a 15 year gaming license in Springfield Mass. in other words, MGM spent over 100,000,000 in obtaining gaming licenses in just 2 states. (I’m going by a weak memory, so do your homework to get the numbers and locations correct) Tell me there were no shenanigans at all anywhere to obtain these licenses and no one was influenced by the MGMs money, or even their partners money… I’ll bet in NYC law firms and lobbyists are making a fortune from the casino bidders, as are the friends and family of the local authorities and NY politicians. Just a hunch something’s fishy and I think NV Gaming should make sure NV licenses operators are not paying to play, which some call that bribery.