A bill approved by New York legislators that would have sped up the bidding process for three new downstate casino licenses is all but dead.
Sen. Joseph Addabbo’s bill S9673A, which passed through the House and the Senate in June, stipulated a deadline of Aug. 31, 2024, for bids to be submitted. That approved legislation was set to be sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul two months ago but remains unsigned.
There has been no official confirmation that the bill and the deadline it would impose are either dead or alive but given that it’s mid-August, the consensus is that it’s over.
Casino operators and S9673A’s co-sponsor, Assemb. Gary Pretlow, told Newsday that, as far as they are concerned, the Aug. 31 deadline has been abandoned. The publication reports that sources suggest Hochul’s administration has not asked the state legislature to forward the bill to the governor’s office.
Gaming board calls August deadline unreasonable
At a New York Gaming Facility Location Board meeting in late June, board members approved a new bid deadline of June 27, 2025, after deeming this summer’s timeline too tight and too restrictive.
Board member Stuart Rabinowitz said the August 2024 “would put some potential applicants under a lot of pressure and would favor some and disfavor others.” The June 2025 deadline was set to give applicants enough time to be fully ready while still allowing the board enough time to thoroughly consider applications before its approval deadline of Dec. 31, 2025.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the new deadline for bids, but there has still been no official verdict from Hochul.
11 bids currently lodged from numerous 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.
Proposals have been filed by operators including Bally’s, Caesars, MGM Resorts, Hard Rock, Las Vegas Sands and Mohegan. The sites of the proposals range 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.
Discussions about awarding as many as three downstate casino licenses have been ongoing for three years.
