New York board gives gaming licenses to 3 NYC casinos
(L) Metropolitan Park. Credit: SHoP Architects, Field Operations; (M) Bally’s Bronx casino. Credit: Bally’s Bronx; (R) Resorts World NYC. Credit: Resorts World NYC
New York City is officially getting three casinos. The State Gaming Commission on Monday awarded licenses for Metropolitan Park across from Citi Field, Resorts World NYC at the Aqueduct Racetrack, and Bally’s Bronx casino in Ferry Point Park. The decision marks the culmination of a years-long competition for the downstate licenses.
After the votes to award the licenses were read, State Gaming Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer congratulated the applicants and highlighted the projects’ anticipated economic impact.
“We look forward to seeing the jobs, economic development, infrastructure, and gaming revenue come to fruition,” O’Dwyer said. “For myself, as a long-time employer of labor unions in this city, I am looking forward to the creation of hundreds, if not thousands, of good union jobs in Queens and the Bronx.”
O’Dwyer also stressed that the license holders will be held accountable for their commitments made during the approval process by a third-party monitor.
“You all have an important charge ahead of you, along with great responsibility,” he said. “You can be assured that this commission takes our responsibility in keeping your feet to the fire with great respect. We will hear from you regularly. We will ask the monitor to report on a quarterly basis to us, as to how you have complied with the many wonderful promises you have made to our communities over the next five years.”
Proposed for 50 acres of parking lots next to Citi Field, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park plan aims to turn the site into an “economic engine,” featuring 23,000 union jobs, 25 acres of new public park space, upgraded transit, live music, a Queens Food Hall, and a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with bars, restaurants, and more, as 6sqft previously reported.
Designed by SHoP Architects and Field Operations, the public park would include 20 acres of green space and five acres of athletic fields and playgrounds—more new parkland than Bryant Park, the High Line, and Union Square Park combined.
The plan also includes an off-site affordable housing development with 450 units added in April. Queens Future LLC, a joint venture between Cohen, Hard Rock International, and Slate Property Group, intends to build a fully affordable housing building on a parking lot at 54-19 100th Street in Corona.
Additional elements include $25 million for community health initiatives, including addiction and mental health services in Flushing, as well as a $163 million commitment to borough-wide nonprofits through the Community Impact Fund.
“Since the day I bought the team, the community and Mets fans have made it clear to me that we can and should do better with the area around the ballpark,” Cohen said. “Now, we are going to be able to deliver the sports and entertainment district that our fans have been asking for.”
At the Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, Resorts World NYC would transform the only operating casino in the five boroughs into a full-scale gaming facility. The $5 billion plan calls for 6,000 Las Vegas–style slot machines, 800 gaming tables, 2,000 hotel rooms, 7,000 parking spaces, and public green space.
Backed by famous NYC rapper Nas, the 5.6 million-square-foot proposal would include a 7,000-seat concert venue and an “innovation campus” featuring a sports academy for high school athletes, led by Queens native and former professional basketball player and sports commentator Kenny “The Jet” Smith.
Bally’s Bronx casino, which survived a July Council vote that initially denied the project a crucial rezoning, plans to develop a large gaming facility at the former Trump-owned Ferry Point Park in Throggs Neck. As part of the arrangement, the Trump Organization is set to receive a $115 million payout if the proposal secures a license.
The bid aims to create a 500,000-square-foot gaming hall, a 500-room hotel with a spa and meeting space, retail shops, a 2,000-seat event center, and two parking garages accommodating up to 4,660 vehicles.
In July, the Council voted against land-use changes needed to build the Bronx facility, following a motion by Council Member Kristy Marmorato, effectively scrapping the bid. Mayor Eric Adams, however, vetoed the Council’s rejection, keeping the project alive.
Metropolitan Park, the largest of the proposals, plans to begin construction in January 2026, with an anticipated opening in 2030. Resorts World aims to offer live table games starting June 29, 2026, while completing its full renovation separately over three to four years. Bally’s also expects to open around 2030, according to Crain’s.
“Today’s vote by the New York State Gaming Commission is the culmination of a multi-year, community-driven process to ensure that casino licenses were only awarded to proposals that had local support, clear community benefits, and sustainable economic plans,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
“The three approved casinos will generate billions of dollars for the MTA and education, create tens of thousands of job,s and deliver real benefits to their surrounding communities.”
While the projects have much support from developers, unions, and many city officials, they haven’t been without controversy. Local opposition fears the new casinos may bring crime and worsen addiction, while others have cited studies that found casinos often underperform their projected revenue estimates, as Crain’s reported.
During a meeting on December 1, opponents of Metropolitan Park began shouting “shame on you” and were quickly escorted from the room. Critics argue that the casino could exploit low-income residents of Corona and Flushing and object to the privatization of land that is technically city parkland.
The outcry resurfaced during Monday’s final approval by the State Gaming Commission, as opponents again shouted “shame on you” and “Hochul must go” before being escorted from the room.
Each of the three winning bids must pay a $500 million license fee up front and will also pay annual slot‑machine and table‑game license fees and taxes on their gaming revenue.
The three winning proposals emerged from a large field of high-profile bids from some of the city’s most influential developers. Competing bids included Bjarke Ingels-designed Freedom Plaza near the U.N., “The Avenir” across from the Javits Center, a Jay-Z-backed casino in Times Square, a proposal in Coney Island called “The Coney,” and MGM Empire City in Yonkers.
Editor’s note 12/16/25: The original version of this story was published on December 1 and has since been updated following the final approval from the New York State Gaming Commission.
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