New York casino race heats up with latest hearings for Freedom Plaza, Resorts World NYC and Bally’s Bronx

The downstate New York casino race is reaching its busiest level of activity thus far, with the 30 September voting deadline approaching for the eight bids vying for three available licences.

The projects, which have been years in the making, are preparing to face binding votes from their appointed community advisory committees (CACs). A two-thirds majority is required from those local committees in order for projects to advance to state consideration. For the seven bids in New York City, that means approval is required from four of six members ; for MGM Empire City in Yonkers it means four of five.

Three hearings took place Monday — the second public hearings for Freedom Plaza and Resorts World NYC as well as one where the Bally’s Bronx CAC proposed amendments to the project in order to obtain various commitments.

Elsewhere, the Caesars Times Square and Avenir proposals are the first to be scheduled for votes, which are set for Wednesday morning. When the CAC process started, members were informed that the minimum obligation was that two hearings be held, with more to be scheduled as necessary. However, if votes are set for Caesars and Avenir, two bids with marathon hearings, that might indicate a reticence to extend the process into further hearings.

As such, years of hard work for all of the New York casino hopefuls could soon to be put to the test.

One last pitch for Freedom Plaza

Soloviev Group and Mohegan Gaming’s Freedom Plaza proposal near the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan is the biggest among the field in terms of scope and price. At a projected cost of $11 billion, it would include a casino, two hotel towers, two residential towers, a Museum of Democracy and more.

In a presentation prior to comments, Mohegan Chief Strategy Officer Nelson Parker said the developers’ polling has found that local support for the project has increased from 61% in December 2024 to 66% today. Awareness and publicity for the project, he said, has also increased substantially over that time.

But Parker eventually touched on the biggest sticking point for the project, the casino itself. At the project’s first hearing 28 August, an outpouring of residents supported the non-gaming amenities while condemning the casino.

On Monday, Parker reiterated that the project’s full benefits package would not be feasible “had it not been for the gaming facility licence”.

Party buses and angry residents

Both Mohegan and Soloviev sent dozens of employees to the hearing to comment in favour — Mohegan Sun employees said they came to New York from Connecticut via party bus.

They were joined in their support by several other groups, including labour unions. Freedom Plaza pledges 25,000 full- and part-time construction jobs, the most of any New York casino bid. The Local 3 electrical union in particular was well represented throughout Monday’s hearing, and the project has also had some political support.

“This proposal, in my opinion, will uplift the community, increase real estate values, create new green space to help the community here, and a lot of other things that do nothing compared to all the other pending proposals,” testified Jerry Kremer, a consultant and longtime state assemblyman.

That said, local residents also made their way to the hearing at Scandinavia House, where they again voiced displeasure for the casino element. The influx of attendees attached to Mohegan and Soloviev was a fresh source of ire for many.

“I’m happy that Mohegan Sun employees and Soloviev employees have been here to talk about their life’s history and their success, and may that always remain so,” said a resident named Linda. “But that has nothing to do with putting a casino in the middle of a city and comparing that to one that was built in … Connecticut in a very rural area.”

As of now, neither a vote date nor additional hearings are scheduled for Freedom Plaza.

Strong arguments for Resorts World NYC

To the east at the Queens Borough Hall, Resorts World NYC also fielded its second hearing, about three weeks after receiving unanimous support from community groups and nonprofits at its first meeting in mid-August. Monday saw another three-hour display of support without a single dissenter.

Prior to the comment period, Resorts World Chief Legal and Strategy Officer Kevin Jones gave another passionate presentation, stressing the strengths of the proposal. These include a significant speed to market advantage, both for the casino and community benefits; an established site; local operating expertise; and completed labour and zoning agreements. It has been considered a frontrunner in the New York casino race since the beginning, for those reasons.

If licensed, the property now containing video lottery terminals would transition to a commercial casino while concurrently embarking on a phased, $5.5 billion expansion.

The property opened as a VLT facility in 2011 and has contributed billions in state taxes since then. Even without a full licence, it consistently ranks as one of the top-grossing casinos in the US, with annual revenue approaching $1 billion.

“We achieved all of this while reducing crime in our neighbourhood, increasing land values, improving the quality of life, while staying at the forefront of responsible gaming initiatives,” Jones asserted.

Addabbo: Resorts World a ‘proven commodity’

While the CAC is still tasked with holding a vote on Resorts World’s application, that feels like a formality by now. If the vote is to reflect public support, speakers made a rejection all but impossible across both hearings.

“Resorts World’s always been there for our community,” said state Senator Joe Addabbo, a prominent advocate of gambling legislation in New York. “So this is not a risk for this CAC to vote on, this is a proven commodity in Ozone Park. This is a proven commodity for our city, this is a proven commodity for our state.”

Dozens upon dozens of community groups and nonprofits testified glowingly about Resorts World, with many acknowledging their initial skepticism when it first opened as a VLT facility. But 14 years of community efforts goes a long way, especially compared to the other bids. Most of those have been drumming up support only for the past three years or less.

“They deserve a full licence, without a doubt, because they created the opportunity for gaming resources to be understood and appreciated by New Yorkers,” said state Senator Leroy Comrie. “It would be a travesty if the commission picks other people other than Resorts, who have set the standard.”

As with Freedom Plaza, neither a vote date nor additional hearings for Resorts World NYC are currently scheduled.

Bally’s Bronx CAC proposes several amendments

Before the public hearings took place, the day started with a closed-door session held by the Bally’s Bronx CAC. The meeting was called so that the committee could propose a series of amendments to the Bally’s proposal, which is the first time such a meeting has been held in the New York casino process. No other CAC has requested amendments to this point.

Overall, the Bally’s CAC outlined several amendments across nine categories from the project. These included:

• Commitments related to a board of directors for a community-led benefit fund.
• Contributions and priorities of said community funds.
• Commitments related to parks, conservancy and parkland alienation.
• Commitments for employment and hiring practices.
• Traffic and infrastructure changes.
• Commitments related to transparency and accountability.
• Environmental and water quality considerations.
• Commitments related to public safety.
• Specific parks to emphasise for parkland commitments.

Bally’s Bronx has already had two hearings, the second of which sparked political fireworks last week. The CAC is technically free to vote at any time before 30 September. But its decision to host an amendment hearing with several proposals instead of voting might indicate that the committee is still wavering in its support.

The company now has a deadline to respond by 5pm on 19 September. If the CAC does not receive a response by then, the amendments will be considered rejected. Bally’s declined to comment on the proposed amendments.