New York’s Gaming Facility Location Board has approved all three bids for downstate casino licenses.
Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, and Resorts World New York City secured Board approval on Monday, allowing them to submit applications to the New York State Gaming Commission for Gaming Facility Licenses.
“The downstate market is among the strongest in the nation, supported by population density, income levels, and tourism. The sizable population within a two-hour drive will support sustained visitation, supplemented by domestic and international travelers,” said the Board. “Each proposal presents strong competitive positioning based on brand strength, amenities, and facility design.”
The Board expects the three projects to deliver incremental annual gaming tax revenue of nearly $1 billion in 2036—totaling approximately $7 billion between 2027 and 2036—plus $1.5 billion in licensing fees.
Additional state and local taxes are projected to generate a further $5.9 billion over 10 years.
“Resorts World New York City’s journey to this historic moment represents more than 15 years of work to generate jobs, revenue, and opportunities for our neighbors,” said Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East.
“Resorts World New York City’s $7.5 billion proposal is the only bid that can expand operations in just 90 days, generating billions in new revenue for mass transit and public education over the next four years. We are thankful the Gaming Facility Location Board recognized the tremendous economic impact we will have for New York State.”
Resorts World plans to have hundreds of table games available by the end of March 2026 and will immediately begin hiring and training up to 2,000 employees.
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park is a new project involving New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International. It aims to transform 50 acres of land next to Citi Field into an entertainment district which includes 286,208 sq. ft of gaming space with 5,000 slots, 375 live dealer tables, 30 poker tables, and an 18,381 sq. ft sportsbook.
Bally’s Bronx will span more than 3 million sq. ft and includes a 500,000 sq. ft gaming space featuring 3,500 gaming machines, 250 table games and a poker room, as well as hotel, dining and entertainment facilities.
Both Hard Rock Metropolitan Park and Bally’s Bronx expect to open by 2030.
MGM Resorts International was also in the running for one of the three casino licenses and had planned to invest $2.3 billion to transform the Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway into a commercial casino and entertainment destination.
MGM Resorts withdrew its bid in mid-October, saying that the concentration of bids in a small geographic area challenged the returns the company had initially anticipated.
A new casino gaming floor in New York with 1,250 slots, 75 gaming tables and 15 poker tables could generate annual gaming revenue of $165 million based on the current performance of casinos.
