Operator News
US – New York casino attracts 30 proposals of interest
By Phil - 16 December 2021
The chance to develop one of three casinos in New York City has attracted official interest from 30 companies or individuals with casino operators such as Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Bally’s, Hard Rock, Rush Street Gaming and Okada Manila all putting bids in for a new casino.
Existing casinos in the region have also put in bids with MGM and Genting applying for a license to transform their slots halls into full-fledged gaming floors at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway and Resorts World at Aqueduct raceway, respectively.
Licenses could even be issued within six months with casinos opening in 2024. Whilst most of the interested companies have requested the state to formalise their plans before publishing their blueprints, Rush Street said in its pitch: “We are developers of destination casinos and we are proud of how we have transformed local communities. We have developed six successful casinos from the ground up, we just broke ground on the seventh, and we would love for the eighth to be in Downstate New York.”
Another bid, presented by the Water Club restaurant , located along the East River in Manhattan, wants to build a small, exclusive casino with table games and no slot machines. It pitches its vision as somewhere ‘the next James Bond can play a hand of poker in New York.’ It would be a ‘Monte Carlo’ -style casino, according to restauratant owner Michael O’Keeffe.
He said: “In the Borough of Manhattan, from river to river, this is the most viable location to place a smaller boutique (Monte Carlo) style casino that is easily expandable. An upscale Monte Carlo style casino on the East Side, Mid-Manhattan, and very visible along the FDR Drive on the East River. Building on the waterfront is far less expensive than building in Midtown Manhattan. It is the easiest deal for the state and the city to make, as it already exists, and is ready to go.”
