NYSGC chair O’Dwyer said the regulator was committed to ensuring the process is fair and transparent.

US.- The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) chair O’Dwyer has announced that the regulator has received eight applications for up to three casino licences in the state. He said the Commission and the Gaming Facility Location Board would ensure the biding process is fair, transparent, competitive, deliberative, and beneficial for the state. The board will select the winning projects by December 1.

He said: “On behalf of my fellow Commissioners and the Gaming Facility Location Board, I welcome the eight applicants to Develop and Operate a Gaming Facility in New York State to the competition.”

He added: “This is a tabula rasa – there are no frontrunners or favorites. These eight proposed projects represent billions of dollars in private investment, thousands of jobs, and amenities in addition to a world-class casino – all things that can transform a community.”

O’Dwyer noted that each project must obtain local entitlements, including zoning approval, and must be approved by a Community Advisory Committee comprising appointees of elected officials representing the proposed facility’s location. Only the projects that meet both statutory requirements by September 30 will be considered by the Gaming Facility Location Board. 

Through the summer, Committees will hold public hearings to gauge support and/or opposition to projects and will vote on whether to advance the project to the board.

“As the board has stated in the Request for Applications, the revenue from new gaming facilities is expected to benefit New York’s public schools, mass transit, local governments, and problem gambling treatment services. The jobs created by these casinos are expected to deliver livable wages to help families live, stay, and prosper in New York,” O’Dwyer added.

The applicants for a New York casino licence

Caesars Palace

Caesars Entertainment and SL Green Realty partnered to bid to propose a casino in Times Square. The firms plan to redevelop 1515 Broadway with a casino, theatre and restaurants.

Freedom Plaza

Soloviev Group partnered with Mohegan for Freedom Plaza. The developer said it planned a substantial green area, a performance venue, a Ferris wheel, a 1,000-room hotel and two residential towers.

Avenir

Silverstein Properties and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment propose to develop the Avenir in Manhattan’s far West Side. The project would feature 1,000 hotel rooms, a casino, entertainment and a residential complex. It would have a hotel under Hyatt’s Destination brand.

Genting Group’s Resorts World in Queens

Genting New York has submitted a $5.5bn proposal to convert its existing Resorts World New York City (RWNYC) in Queens into a full integrated resort. The 5.6 million-square-foot development would feature a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor with 6,000 slot machines and 800 table games, 2,000 hotel rooms, a 7,000-seat performance venue, over 30 food and beverage outlets and 10 acres of public greenspace.

Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International plan a $8bn casino resort at Citi Field ballpark in Queens. The Metropolitan Park complex would be located on 50 acres of parking space around the Mets’ ballpark. It would include new athletic fields, a renovated transit station, 20 acres of public park space and a food hall.

Bally’s

Bally’s Corporation proposes a casino in The Bronx next to the Trump Organization’s public golf course at Ferry Point. The complex would include a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor, a 500-room hotel with a spa and meeting space, shops, a 2,000-seat event centre, and two parking garages with capacity for up to 4,660 vehicles.

Coney Island

Saratoga Casino Holdings, the Chickasaw Nation and Legends and Thor Equities‘ bid is for a “comprehensive casino, hotel, and entertainment proposal” in Coney Island. They say the project would involve an investment of more than $3bn of private funds.

Yonkers

MGM Yonkers, a subsidiary of MGM Resorts International, proposes to expand the existing Empire City Casino site inclusing a renovation and expansion of existing gaming areas, an high-limit lounge and a new BetMGM Sportsbook.