Eight proposals submitted for three casino licenses in New York's metropolitan area
New York Prepares for Major Downstate Casino Expansion
The New York Gaming Facility Location Board is set to announce the winning bids for three downstate casino licenses by December 1, 2025, with full operation and robust revenues expected within a few years thereafter.
Eight applications were received by the June 27, 2025 deadline, with each bid pledging substantial community benefits such as affordable housing, public green space, infrastructure improvements, thousands of new jobs, millions of new tax revenue, and investment opportunities for locals and area businesses.
The proposed developments range from the Bronx to Times Square to Coney Island. Notable bids include the Resorts World New York proposal in Queens, which plans a large integrated resort with 6,000 slot machines and 800 gaming tables, and the Avenir project on Manhattan’s West Side, which envisions a $7 billion development with a casino complex that also includes luxury hotel rooms and other amenities.
The size and scale of these developments suggest they expect to generate hundreds of millions to potentially billions of dollars in gross gaming revenue annually, consistent with major casino resorts of similar size. However, exact estimates of annual gross gaming revenue after market maturation are not given.
Community Advisory Committees (CACs) have been assigned to each bid, and they must vote on their respective projects by September 30, 2025. The CAC for the seven bids within the five boroughs consists of six members: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), NYC Mayor Eric Adams, the applicable state senator, assemblymember, borough president, and city council member.
The New York State Gaming Commission will issue the licenses before the year's end, making New York the second-largest gaming market in the country behind only Las Vegas, according to state projections. The upstate New York casinos largely underperformed, leading to the early start of the downstate casino licensing in 2022.
The bidding process officially began three years later. All but MGM and Genting's bids are for entirely new gaming properties. MGM and Genting currently operate racinos with video lottery terminals and electronic table games. The bidders include Bally's, Caesars Entertainment, Chickasaw Nation, Genting, Hard Rock, Mohegan, MGM Resorts, and Rush Street Gaming.
| Key Milestone | Date | |---------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Applications received | June 27, 2025 | | CAC voting & entitlement completion deadline| September 30, 2025 | | Board selects winning bids | By December 1, 2025| | Licensing completed | By December 31, 2025|
| Expected Revenue | Comment | |---------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Annual gross gaming revenue (estimate) | Large-scale casinos targeting multi-hundred million to billion-dollar GGR ranges upon market maturation, no official consolidated figures available |
This timeline and scale reflect New York’s commitment to establishing three major downstate casino resorts by the end of 2025.
- The New York Gaming Facility Location Board has received eight applications for downstate casino licenses, each promising significant community benefits.
- The proposed casinos range from the Bronx to Times Square to Coney Island, including the Resorts World New York proposal in Queens.
- The Resorts World New York project plans a large integrated resort with 6,000 slot machines and 800 gaming tables.
- The Avenir project on Manhattan’s West Side envisions a $7 billion development with a casino complex and other amenities.
- These developments are expected to generate hundreds of millions to potentially billions of dollars in gross gaming revenue annually.
- Community Advisory Committees (CACs) have been assigned to each bid, with members including Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and local politicians.
- The New York State Gaming Commission will issue the licenses before the end of 2025, making New York the second-largest gaming market in the country.
- The bidders include Bally's, Caesars Entertainment, Chickasaw Nation, Genting, Hard Rock, Mohegan, MGM Resorts, Rush Street Gaming, and current operators MGM and Genting.
- The bids are for entirely new gaming properties, except for MGM and Genting's racinos with video lottery terminals and electronic table games.
- New York's commitment to establishing three major downstate casino resorts by the end of 2025 is reflected in this timeline.
- The annual gross gaming revenue of these large-scale casinos is estimated to be in the multi-hundred million to billion-dollar ranges upon market maturation, but no official consolidated figures are available.
- The CACs must vote on their respective projects by September 30, 2025, and the Board is expected to select the winning bids by December 1, 2025.
- The licensing process will be completed by December 31, 2025, and these new developments are expected to significantly impact the casino-and-gambling culture, politics, and general news in New York City.
