The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) has issued a Request for Information for Unawarded Commercial Casino Licenses, as it seeks to open three casinos in the metropolitan New York City region.
The 14-page document was released by state officials Wednesday to get preliminary interest for potential casinos in the region and to expand New York gambling.
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Proposals to the state are due Dec. 10.
According to the New York Post, two of the three licenses could go to gaming facilities already approved to run slot machines — the Malaysian-based, Genting-owned Resorts World Aqueduct Casino in Queens and the MGM Resorts-owned Empire City Casino in Yonkers, which also has a harness racing track on the property.
Genting recently added a hotel at Aqueduct and it has planned on expanding to a full-fledged casino with card games, the story said.
The Post had previously reported that big names like Bally’s Corp., Wynn Resort, and Las Vegas Sands want to compete for a New York City-area casino license.
Potential casino locations could include anywhere in New York City, Nassau-Suffolk in Long Island and Westchester-Rockland-Putnam counties north of the city, The Post said.
’Better Understanding of Interest’
“The Commission is seeking information to develop a better understanding of interest in the unawarded commercial casino licenses and, if there is interest, what factors should be considered by the State in the development of a process to award such licenses,” the NYSGC said in the RFI. “Accordingly, the Commission is issuing this document to draw input from interested and affected parties.”
Other potential sites, according to The Post, include Willets Point in Queens, where Mets owner Steve Cohen leases the Citi Field ballpark and adjoining parking lots; the Belmont Park development in Long Island, home to the Belmont Park racetrack and a new Islanders hockey arena; and Staten Island’s St. George neighborhood.
More Money for NY
A NYSGC study recently estimated that three new downstate casinos could generate somewhere in the vicinity of $420 million-$630 million in revenue per year, The Post reported.
The state gaming commission, under current state law, can consider downstate casinos after opening four casinos upstate in an effort to boost economic development. That was pushed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
With New York online sports betting still waiting to launch, September sports betting figures for its four upstate retail casinos released last week brought a bit of good news. September sports betting handle in New York was $17.35 million, up 89.6% from August’s $9.15 million.
