Resorts World and Yonkers Casino Advance in Competition for Gaming Licenses

Two New York City-area gambling palace proposals on Thursday became the first downstate contenders to advance in the race for new casino licenses.

MGM Empire City in Yonkers and Resorts World in Queens were both approved unanimously by their respective community advisory committees and will now take their casino proposals to a state board that plans to issue new gaming licenses by the end of the year.

Both bids are considered frontrunners in the contest for three lucrative casino licenses. Thursday’s votes came as multiple other casino proposals have been snubbed in recent days, including three different projects in Manhattan and a likely rejection for a Coney Island gambling complex.

The Yonkers and Southeast Queens proposals — which would turn existing “racinos” into full-fledged casinos — would potentially be simpler than competing bids which would require more new construction.

The $5.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot Resorts World proposal from the Genting Group would bring an additional 6,000 slot machines, 800 gaming tables, 2,000 hotel rooms and 7,000 parking spaces to the neighborhood, along with more than a dozen acres of community green space.

“Queens gets the money. Sorry, Jay-Z,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said before voting, referencing the famed Brooklyn-born rapper who was a partner in a proposal for a casino in Times Square that proved to be a losing bet before its local advisory committee.

“Queens is truly getting the money because it’s thousands of jobs,” he added. Richards is a self-appointed member of the committee who approved the project Thursday.

The Malaysia-based Genting Group, which operates more than 40 casinos worldwide, applauded the decision, as well. 

“We’re so happy that we could be there for many years to come,” said Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting New York, adding that the project will be “a true destination that works for the neighbors and the residents as well as for Resorts World.”

The Adams administration said it supports the Southeast Queens casino proposal, but is pushing for a “generational” opportunity for more housing as part of the package.

“The broader Aqueduct site represents one of our city’s greatest opportunities for new housing, and we encourage the applicant to work closely with the state to advance an accelerated strategy for new housing on the site, or to support its transfer to the city so this generational opportunity can be fully realized,” said William Fowler, a City Hall spokesperson.

The Genting plan is not the only one in Queens vying for a casino license from the state. On Tuesday, Sept. 30, another committee will vote on a proposal from Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International near Citi Field. The project has drawn considerable ire from locals, as well as support from elected officials and other stakeholders.

Opponents have expressed concern over the potential loss of city-owned parkland and the social impacts — pollution, crime, and problem gambling — the casino could have on a residential neighborhood. Supporters tout the community benefits and jobs the project would bring to Queens.

The votes on Thursday came from special groups convened by the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board to review, approve or deny each of the eight proposals for casinos in New York City and Yonkers. 

If the Yonkers plan is awarded a casino license, gaming operations are estimated to begin in 2027 and all of its envisioned components are estimated to be complete by the end of 2029, according to bid documents. The $2.3 billion, 863,500-square-foot MGM Empire City is the smallest of the eight casino proposals in the downstate area that are under consideration this fall. 

“A casino license is a good deal for New York State, for Westchester County, and especially for Yonkers,” James Cavanaugh, Mayor Mike Spano’s appointee and chair of the CAC, said before voting.

MGM Northeast Group, the project’s developer, expressed gratitude for the green light. 

“For more than 100 years, Yonkers Raceway and Empire City have been intertwined with the City of Yonkers,” says Taryn Duffy, vice president of MGM Northeast Group. “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.”

The Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino has been operating as a horse-racing facility since 1899, and already has the sixth-largest gaming floor in the country.

The casino will preserve horse racing at the historic Yonkers Raceway, add around 2,000 permanent jobs, supply funding for flood prevention and police resources, and give 80% of its tax revenue to the New York State Education Fund, according to its proposal.

Now, MGM Empire City, and Resorts World, and whichever other casinos are approved by the CACs, will submit supplemental application materials, including a proposed tax rate, to the location board for final consideration.