Just weeks after Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Rob Goldstein said his company is very “excited about the prospect” of building a hotel-casino complex on the grounds of the old Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, a New York state judge stepped in and sent the company back to square one.

The New York Post reported that the Sands 99-year lease, signed earlier this year with Nassau County, was invalidated by Supreme Court Judge Sarika Kapoor because it ran afoul of open meetings and environmental laws. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by Hofstra University, which abuts the land, and it sends the Sands proposal back to the Nassau County Legislature.

The university filed the lawsuit in April, saying there was enough notice for both public meetings and an environmental review.

“We appreciate the court’s thoughtful ruling and the court’s granting of reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs to Hofstra incurred in connection with several of the claims,” said Hofstra president Susan Poser, according to the Post. “The court recognized the public’s right to participate in decision-making about the current redevelopment plan for the Nassau Hub. We look forward to contributing to the planning process and advocating for the use of the Hub in ways that will best contribute to our thriving community, while protecting against environmental and other harms.”

One of 11

Las Vegas Sands is but one of 11 confirmed parties interested in building a casino in downstate New York.

The New York State Gaming Commission is expected to issue three licenses, and the regulatory board is in the process of answering a second round of questions from the would-be casino owners. Official bids are expected to be due 30 days after the answers are revealed.

This blow to the Sands comes in the same week Mets owner Steve Cohen unveiled his plans for an $8 billion casino complex that he wants to build next to Citi Field in Flushing.

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