MGM’s Empire City Advances in New York Casino Race
Posted on: September 25, 2025, 11:29h.
Last updated on: September 25, 2025, 11:35h.
- Property is the first to make it through community advisory committee (CAC) process
- MGM venue believed to be one of the leaders for three downstate casino permits
- Proposal has support of Yonkers politicians, residents
MGM Resorts International’s Empire City Casino in Yonkers, NY, won the approval of the community advisory committee (CAC) evaluating the bid, making the proposal the first to advance beyond that stage.
Following a spate of high-profile departures and rejections, the field of contenders for three New York City-area casino licenses has been narrowed dramatically, with Empire City confirming its long-held status as one of the frontrunners.
We are grateful to the Community Advisory Committee and our local community for demonstrating their continued support for Empire City Casino,” according to a statement issued by the Las Vegas-based gaming company. “For more than 100 years, Yonkers Raceway and Empire City have been intertwined with the City of Yonkers. We look forward to continuing to drive well-paying jobs for local residents and providing hundreds of millions of dollars in annual education revenue to the State of New York.”
Empire City has operated as a slots-only venue since 2006. MGM completed its $850 million acquisition of Empire City and Yonkers Raceway in January 2019.
Empire City Has Advantages in NYC Casino Competition
Frequent speculation that the MGM venue is one of the clear leaders in the New York City casino race isn’t just conjecture. It’s rooted in solid fundamentals.
As Casino.org’s Devin O’Connor reported earlier this year, from the time MGM took over the venue in January 2019 through the end of last year, Empire City generated more than $5 billion in revenue for New York K-12 public education. During that time, the property was consistently one of the highest-grossing regional casinos in the US, and that was without the benefit of table games.
MGM holds another advantage in Yonkers: it doesn’t need to engage in from-the-ground-up construction if it wins one of the three licenses. While a substantial overhaul of the property will occur if it’s granted one of those permits, the operator estimates the property can be converted to a Las Vegas-style casino hotel by 2027.
It’s also home to MGM’s biggest casino floor in the US, implying there’s plenty of room to add dozens of gaming tables. The operator already has 4,600 gaming devices on the floor, and if it’s granted a downstate license, 183 table games could be added. Fourteen new eateries are in the cards as well as a 5,000-seat entertainment venue.
New York Casino Race Taking Shape
Thursday will be a busy day on the New York City casino front. After the CAC approved MGM’s bid by a 5-0 vote, a similar committee in Queens is expected to release its decision on Resorts World New York.
Like Empire City, the Genting-operated venue in Queens has long been viewed as a leader in the New York casino race, and for many of the same reasons, including familiarity with regulators, a lengthy track record of generating revenue for the state, and a short time needed to convert to a traditional casino.
A CAC vote on the $8 billion Metropolitan Park, also in Queens, is expected in the coming days. Led by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, Metropolitan Park is widely viewed as the other frontrunner in addition to Empire City and Resorts World.
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