New York Casino Plans: Gaming Commission May Not Approve Licenses Until Late 2025

"So the process to award three gambling licenses in the nation’s largest untapped gaming market, which was initially expected to be at or near conclusion by now, appears far from over,"  reported Politico. "As a result, some of the world’s largest casino companies remain in an ongoing and costly lobbying campaign to win local and, then ultimately, state approval."

"A new proposed timeline released by a state commission Monday is potentially pushing back the process to bring more gambling into New York," reported NY1 Spectrum News. "'All of which would find a convergence of the zoning approvals, CAC considerations and environmental review completion by late summer 2025, allowing for a Gaming Facility Location Board decision in late 2025 resulting in a commission license consideration before the end of 2025,' Robert Williams, executive director for the Gaming Commission, said. Under the proposed timeline, licenses for new full-fledged casinos in the downstate region would possibly not be issued until the end of 2025."

The three eventual gambling licenses approved for "Downstate" New York will come from a long list of contenders - including Sands' plan for Nassau Coliseum,  Hard Rock's CitiField push with Mets owner Steve Cohen, the Saratoga Casino Holdings-lead  Coney Island proposal, Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point in The Bronx, SL Green and Caesar's proposal for Times Square, the next phase of Hudson Yards from Related Companies and Wynn, and the two preexisting "racino" gambling locations in the New York City-area: Resorts World at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Yonkers Empire City Casino by MGM.