Downstate New York Casinos Receive Approval From Gaming Board

The years-long process of bringing three new retail casinos to downstate New York took a big step forward this week.

On Monday, the New York Gaming Facility Board recommended the remaining three casino proposals for licensure. Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, and Resorts World New York City all received approval from the board.

The final step calls for the New York State Gaming Commission to award the licenses by December 31.

These three remaining casino projects are all that are left from eight proposals that were vying for these three available downstate casino licenses.

These three new casinos will be a big step toward bringing in added tax revenue for the area, and also be the next step toward potential New York online casino expansion.

Three Casinos Expected to Generate Billions in Funds

What started with eight candidates is now down to three. Each remaining casino project likely be given the downstate licenses in a process that has taken over three years already.

Here’s a look at each of the three proposals that should be greenlit before the end of the month.

Bally’s Bronx

This project will be built at Ferry Point and be a $4 billion casino and hotel project that covers 3 million square feet. Bally’s projects that this project will bring in 4,000 jobs to the area.

Hard Rock Metropolitan Park

This project is backed by Steve Cohen and will be located next to Citi Field in Queens. It’s an $8 billion resort and casino project. This is part of an expansion that would seek to turn the area into an entertainment hub. It would feature a tennis center and soccer stadium to go alongside Citi Field and Hard Rock Metropolitan Park.

Resorts World New York City

This Queens project will be at the Aqueduct Racetrack, which already is set up for casino gaming. The project is a $5.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot proposal.

The Gaming Facility Location Board projects that these three casinos will generate $1 billion in annual gaming tax revenue by 2036. Around $7 billion in tax revenue is expected to come from 2027-2036. They also will bring in $1.5 billion in licensing fees.

With additional state and local taxes, along with funds from additional sales at the resorts, another $6 billion is projected to New York over the next 10 years.

The New York State Gaming Commission releases a statement on these three proposals following Monday’s action from the gaming facility board.

“The Gaming Commission has already undertaken the background investigations of the applicants and is expeditiously applying its statutory license suitability criteria to ensure that these casinos are operated with utmost integrity and fiscal responsibility. A New York gaming license is a privilege – and this Commission will ensure those entities fortunate enough to be selected for licensure meet New York’s rigorous standards.”

Is Online Casino Legalization in New York Next?

This next step in gambling expansion in New York could help the state make progress toward legalizing online casinos.

Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. has not been shy in his attempts to introduce iGaming legalization in the state Senate. However, previous efforts have faced pushback as the state focused on the downstate casino licensing.

With Dec. 31 being the deadline for these casinos to officially receive licensing, it will help New York move on to new horizons.

Addabbo is likely to introduce legislation for online casino gaming once again in 2026. However, lawmakers will probably still be hesitant to make such a big advancement so quickly. These three casinos may need to be more established before iGaming legalization gets serious consideration in New York.

The state is already established with online sports betting, and has the largest market in the US. An online casino market would bring in hundreds of millions of revenue each month. Pennsylvania alone brought in over $310 million in online casino revenue in October.

With a number of top online gambling brands already in the state, a transition to iGaming wouldn’t be a major challenge in New York. This retail development already adds the Hard Rock Casino name to the state.

Until New York makes things legal, residents will have to rely on New Jersey online casinos. That’s if they should want to make a trip across the border.