Sands is Out, Community Group Still Says No to Long Island Casino

Posted on: April 28, 2025, 09:16h. 

Last updated on: April 28, 2025, 09:37h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.
  • Las Vegas Sands recently dropped Long Island casino effort
  • Community group wants the plug pulled entirely

Las Vegas Sands announced last week that it’s dropping its plan to bid for a New York City casino license, but that’s not good enough for a Long Island community group, which is demanding Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) scrap the idea entirely.

Sands Nassau
Nassau County, NY on a map. A community group is calling on the county to drop its casino ambitions. (Image: CBS New York)

The Say No to the Casino Civic Association, which has long opposed the idea of a gaming venue being built at the site of Nassau Coliseum, said Blakeman is focusing on “long-shot partnerships” to replace Sands and is doing so at the expense of taxpayers.

[Bruce] Blakeman is willing to continue this farce, and pretend that winning a gaming license is still possible, wasting more taxpayer money in the process, knowing full well that this shameful chapter of the Nassau HUB’s evolution is unambiguously over,” according to the organization.

Late last week, reports surfaced that Blakeman was in talks with international parties, including some from Albania and China, about potentially replacing Sands as the developer of Nassau HUB. The politician didn’t elaborate on the extent of those discussions nor did he identify the parties by name. It’s not clear if gaming companies were involved.

Sands Holding Talks of Its Own

Last Wednesday, Sands told analysts and investors that it’s abandoning plans to pursue a New York casino permit, citing potential competitive pressure from iGaming, assuming the state eventually legalizes that form of wagering.

Sands COO and President Patrick Dumont said the operator would like to shift its Long Island plan to a third party that has experience in both the iGaming and land-based casino spaces, implying the Nassau County casino effort isn’t dead. Reports subsequently surfaced that Sands is in talks with another party and that a related announcement could emerge in the coming weeks.

At this point, details are scant and Sands didn’t identify any third party with which it’s holding discussions. By process of deduction, it’s reasonable to assume the list of gaming companies that could take over the Long Island bid is short. It’s also clear Say No to the Casino wants the issue put to bed.

“A casino is not the right answer for our community, nor will it ever be,” according to the civic group.

Sands Likely Motivated to Make Something Happen

For its part, Sands is likely motivated to unburden itself of what has been on Long Island and do so over the near term. The casino giant has already poured $54 million in Nassau County and is on the hook for a four-decade lease there.

Sands also made clear that it prefers returning capital to shareholders and focusing on its Macau and Singapore operations to spending more cash in New York. Now, Say No to the Casino is calling on Blakeman to play hardball with Sands and let locals decide the future of Nassau HUB.

“Why Blakeman gave up his power and handed land control to LVS last summer during lease negotiations baffles us, but he needs to wrestle it back. It is dangerous to allow LVS to remain in control of the HUB,” adds the community organization. “The HUB is taxpayer-owned land and we the taxpayers should have a say in its future.”