New York City considers zoning changes to support eventual casinos

State gaming officials will weigh casino license applications in the New York City region — including Times Square, Hudson Yards, the Trump Golf Course at Ferry Point in the Bronx, Willets Point in Queens near Citi Field and Coney Island in Brooklyn — after a lengthy review that includes community advisory boards comprised of the mayor, and representatives from the council, the state Assembly and Senate.

Under state law, the community advisory boards must give their stamp of approval before the state will even consider a proposed casino at a specific location in the five boroughs.

The city zoning law is silent on the legality of casinos, sources said, and the mayor and council are brainstorming to see whether they need to amend it.

“The administration is in discussions with the City Council and our state partners to determine what, if any, zoning changes would be required in accordance with the state’s casino approval process,” a mayoral spokesman said Friday.

“Those discussions are ongoing, and no decisions have been made whatsoever about how best to proceed.

“The state siting board will decide where casinos get sited.”

Per state law, any casino applications must abide by local zoning laws in order to be considered, including the city’s time-consuming Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

The law forbids the state from overriding local zoning.

ULURP involves input from the mayoral-controlled city Department of Planning and Planning Commission, local community boards and ultimately approval from the City Council.

Many of the suggested casino sites are on city or state-owned property.

Casino industry sources expressed concern that the approval process has slowed down, and the approval of any gaming license could be a year or more away.

The state Gaming Commission, for example, has yet to seat a deadline to receive bids for the new casino licenses.

Still, potential bidders have been talking up their proposals in public announcements and in meetings with local community leaders.

Last week, a consortium unveiled renderings for a dazzling new “Coney” casino and hotel that would be erected just steps from the storied Brooklyn boardwalk and beach, located smack between the iconic Cyclone and Wonder Wheel, the renderings show.

The consortium includes Thor Equities, gaming operators Saratoga Casino Holdings and The Chickasaw Nation and Legends, the sports and entertainment firm co-owned by the Yankees.

Gaming giant Bally’s is betting on the Bronx — recently discussing a plan to build a casino on what is now the Trump Organization’s public golf course at Ferry Point.

The owners of the existing slots parlors at the Aqueduct race track in Ozone Park, Queens and Yonkers race track — Genting/ Resorts World and MGM’s Empire City — are expected to submit bids to expand their offerings to include table games.

Meanwhile, Mets owner Cohen is eyeing a casino near the team’s stadium in Flushing, Queens — potentially partnering with Seminole Hard Rock. A 25,000-seat professional soccer stadium is also planned in the vicinity.

Others planning bids to operate a casino include the Steve Ross-Related Companies/Wynn Resorts partnership for Hudson Yards, and the landlord SL Green/Caesars Entertainment team in Times Square.

By Carl Campanile