By Michael V. Cusenza
New York’s highly coveted three downstate casino licenses and legal individual player prop bets may be delayed until next year, as the State Legislature won’t reconvene until January, State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven) noted this week.
Addabbo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering, also told online casino and sports-betting review site SportsBoom.com that legal wagering on individual player awards such as Super Bowl MVP, the Cy Young Award, Heisman Trophy and NBA Rookie of the Year will not be available until the same timeframe, and only if they meet legislative approval and are signed into the by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“My colleagues are sometimes apprehensive, but I mention that New Yorkers are already making these types of prop bets in neighboring states such as New Jersey and Connecticut,” the senator said in the exclusive interview.
“Also, the governor needs to know that New York is viewed nationally as an expanding U.S. market. We are currently losing $1 billion per year, and we need the revenue,” Addabbo added.
Eight groups are vying for the three downstate licenses. Resorts World New York City in South Ozone Park submitted its bid in June and is considered a favorite to land a license.
Genting Americas East, owner and operator of RWNYC, has proposed to build a $5.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot integrated resort for entertainment, gaming, dining, recreation, and expansive public amenities. According to Genting, table game and full-casino slot machine operations could launch within six months of receiving a Gaming Facility License. RWNYC stands out as the lone bid with the sheer size and readiness to drive new incremental revenue almost immediately, for the highest and best value to New York State. An estimated 5,000 union construction jobs would be created to realize a resort with a total of a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor with 6,000 slots and 800 table games; 2,000 hotel rooms; a 7,000-seat entertainment venue; more than 7,000 car spaces, over 30 food and beverage outlets, large-scale meeting space; other resort amenities and more than 10 acres of community greenspace.
“Fifteen years ago, Resorts World made a promise to turn this site into an economic engine for Southeast Queens, New York City, and New York State,” said Robert DeSalvio, president, Genting Americas East. “And we succeeded, now generating more casino revenues and taxes each year than any other commercial casino in the U.S. Today is a major milestone for us to propose the world-class Resorts World Integrated Resort and further commit to this partnership and provide new career opportunities and tax revenue almost immediately, as soon as July 2026.”
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Seminole Hark Rock Entertainment submitted a bid to build a casino next to Citi Field in the footprint of the old Shea Stadium as part of the proposed Metropolitan Park. Cohen and the Hard Rock group’s plan for the park includes the construction of a casino and entertainment center, a 2,300-room hotel, a 5,000-seat music hall, a “Taste of Queens” food hall, 25 acres of public park space, a redesigned Mets-Willets Point 7 train station and a $163 million community benefits fund.
