The New York Gaming Facility Location Board, the entity that is overseeing the ongoing commercial casino licensing process for downstate New York, has approved a new bid deadline of June 27, 2025.
Sen. Joseph Addabbo’s bill S9673A, which passed through the House and the Senate earlier this month, stipulates a deadline of Aug. 31, 2024. However, board members including new Chair Vicki Been said at a meeting on Thursday that they thought the timeline was too tight and is in conflict with the bill.
Board member Stuart Rabinowitz said the August 2024 deadline is too soon as it, “would put some potential applicants under a lot of pressure and would favor some and disfavor others.” The June 2025 deadline was deemed long enough for applicants to be fully ready and prepared and early enough for the board to thoroughly consider applications before its approval deadline of Dec. 31, 2025.
S9673A is currently awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature after being approved by the legislature. If Hochul signs it in its current form, the August deadline for bids will stand. But Been noted that the board doesn’t have to wait for Hochul before voting on its own deadline, and, “the hope would be that our reasoning would be convincing to the governor.”
The board voted unanimously to adopt the new deadline for bids.
11 bids currently lodged from numerous big-name operators
New York law allows for three brick-and-mortar facilities at commercial locations in and around New York City and is currently welcoming bids for the venues.
There are currently 11 proposals filed by operators including Bally’s, Caesars, MGM Resorts, Hard Rock, Las Vegas Sands and Mohegan. the proposals span locations ranging from Times Square in Manhattan to Long Island to the Bronx.
Bidders must include provisions such as zoning changes and environmental impact studies when they are filed.
The final possible deadline for licenses to be issued would be March 31, 2026 under Addabbo’s bill. Addabbo has estimated that three new casinos could bring in up to $3 billion in casino license fees alone because he believes developers will bid up to $1 billion on each license.
Discussions about awarding as many as three casino licenses in the downstate region have been ongoing for three years but the process has stagnated since October.
