New York City Casino Hopefuls Spent Millions Lobbying Government Officials
Posted on: March 4, 2026, 09:02h.
Last updated on: March 4, 2026, 09:02h.
- Lobbying firms in NYC made millions from casino hopefuls in 2025
- Four of the top 10 lobbying spenders were entities behind downstate New York casino bids
Last year’s competitive bid for the three downstate New York casino licenses lined the pockets of dozens of lobbying firms.
On March 1, the New York City Office of the City Clerk’s Lobbying Bureau unveiled its Annual Report. The 66-page disclosure details lobbying activity in the city for the prior calendar year.
In 2025, firms fighting for the casino concessions were among the highest-paid lobbyists. In fact, entities associated with casino bids accounted for four of the top 10 clients based on total compensation.
Queens Future, LLC, the corporation associated with billionaire Steve Cohen’s redevelopment of his Citi Field Ballpark into Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, doled out $1.69 million to 11 lobbying firms. Queens Future was one of the three winning bids.
Genting New York, LLC, the group behind the overhaul of Queens’ Resorts World New York City from a racino to a full-fledged casino, spent $1.14 million on three lobbyists. Resorts World was also another downstate casino winner.
Bally’s Corporation, the third and final casino pick, spent $830,661 on 11 lobbying firms for its Bally’s Bronx casino bid at the Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point Park.
New York Casino Lobbying
Queens Future, Genting, and Bally’s, respectively, ranked Nos. 2, 4, and 6 among the top 10 lobbying spenders in 2025. MADDD Equities, an affordable housing developer, was the top spender at more than $1.8 million.
At No. 3 was TSG Coney Island Entertainment Holdco, LLC. TSG was the group behind a proposed $3 billion overhaul of the Coney Island Boardwalk. Backed by the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and New York-based Saratoga Casino Holdings and Thor Equities, TSG allocated almost $1.42 million on lobbying last year.
The Coney, as the casino presentation was called, did not qualify for consideration by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board after the bid’s Community Advisory Board (CAC) voted down the project.
The Coney wasn’t alone in being rejected by its CAC. Caesars Palace Times Square, The Avenir at 11th Avenue & 41st Street, and Freedom Plaza near the United Nations Headquarters met similar fates. However, those projects did not rank in the top 10 in lobbying spend. MGM Empire City, a bid that was withdrawn after applying, also did not place among the top 10 lobbying spenders.
NYC’s other casino considerations that weren’t officially bid, including Wynn Resorts’ Hudson Yards proposal and Las Vegas Sands’ plan on Long Island, were also not costly for the companies in terms of lobbying commitments.
2026 Casino Lobbying
With three downstate New York casinos on the way, heavy lobbying in neighboring New Jersey is expected in 2026, as Garden State lawmakers mull whether to allow a resort in North Jersey.
Queens Future, Genting, and Bally’s would presumably fight to prevent a casino at The Meadowlands because North Jersey will be a key feeder market for the resorts. Hard Rock, which is partnered with Cohen on Metropolitan Park, was previously interested in developing a casino at The Meadowlands. Hard Rock also runs a casino in Atlantic City.
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