tl;dr – This would usher in a new era of full-scale gambling in the city.
Big news out of New York City this week. The state’s gaming commission has approved three casino projects for the NYC area. This stage is now set for full-scale casinos – a la ‘Las Vegas’ – to debut in the Big Apple.
A few months ago, I wrote about a new Hyatt planned for Manhattan – a property that would have been the accommodations anchor for an ambitious casino-involved project. However, proposals to open a casino within Manhattan were all voted down, so craps and roulette tables (legal ones at least) will be left to the other boroughs.
The approved-projects two in Queens and one in the Bronx – include Bally’s Bronx (from the eponymous gaming conglomerate), Metropolitan Park (from billionaire Steve Cohen – the owner of the New York Mets and investment firm Point72 Asset Management) which will sit adjacent to Citi Field, and Resorts World (owned by Malaysian hospitality and gaming conglomerate, Genting Group) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
I’m not much into gambling (or casino entertainment/shows for that matter), but it’s interesting nonetheless to examine the timing of this unfolding. With every report indicating Las Vegas is struggling to win back tourists, and with Atlantic City all but dead, opening the door to full-scale casinos in the nation’s most visited city could have quite the sticking effect. Queens is where both of NYC’s major airports are located, so folks seeking to add some gaming to their NYC travels won’t need to travel to upstate New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey’s boardwalk.
As far as timelines, Resorts World at Aqueduct Race Track could open (in its initial full-scale iteration) as soon as March 2026. Since Resorts World already runs on a gaming license due to its slot machines, it’s a matter of expanding the establishment and presumably hiring/training workers. 2031 is the date provided in the proposal for a full build-out. Notably, Resorts World already has the Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York as an accommodation option onsite.
The Metropolitan Park project is expected in June 2030.
Unsurprisingly, a Hard Rock hotel is planned as part of the project. (Hard Rock is also owned by Cohen.)
Finally, Bally’s Bronx is scheduled for a mid-2030 debut. middle of 2030. A curious footnote to the Bally deal is as follows: as this site is being developed on top of a golf course formerly owned by Donald Trump, the Trump Organization is allegedly set to receive $115 million from Bally’s following the license approval.
