In 2013, the New York State Constitution was amended to authorize up to seven commercial casinos in the state. Subsequently, the State sited four commercial casinos in upstate New York. In 2022, the enacted New York State budget established a new siting process and criteria for the remaining three licenses.
What’s the latest in the Casino License Awarding Process?
Eight casino license applications (including one in this district at 686 1st Avenue) were submitted to the State for public review. The State has posted application materials for all eight submissions.
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) held its first organizational meeting on July 17, 2025, its first public hearing on August 28, 2025, and its second public hearing on September 15, 2025. The final vote on the project was held on Monday, September 22nd at 10am. The application was rejected by four of six members of the CAC, meaning that this application will not move forward (four of six members needed to be in support of the application for it to move forward).
The casino proposal in this district was defeated on September 22, 2025 after a majority of the CAC voted against the application. Those on the CAC who opposed the application were representatives from Borough President Mark Levine, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, and Council Member Keith Powers. Those on the CAC who voted to move the application forward were representatives from Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul.
The license process ended in mid-December 2025 with the awarding of casino licenses to three other applicants in other boroughs.
For a historical record of how this process played out, please refer to the timeline below.
Casino License Selection Milestones
June 27, 2025
Application deadline.
July 3, 2025
July 17, 2025
CAC Meeting #1 – During the meeting, the committee took care of some procedural matters and heard a presentation from the Freedom Plaza casino license applicant team. Watch video here.
August 28, 2025, 4 – 9 PM
September 15, 2025, 2 PM – 8 PM
September 22, 2025, 10 AM
CAC Final Vote. Watch video here. This vote failed, meaning that the Freedom Plaza’s application for a casino in Manhattan Community District 6 did not advance any further.
Late September 2025
Four applications passed through the reviews of their respective CACs: Bally’s Bronx (Ferry Point, The Bronx), Hard Rock Metropolitan Park (Willets Point, Queens), Resorts World New York City (Aqueduct, Queens), and MGM Empire City (Yonkers).
October 14, 2025
One of the four applications that passed through the CAC process, MGM Empire City (Yonkers), withdrew their application. This left three applications for the remaining three licenses, the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board still had to decide whether awarding all three of them best served the State’s fiscal and community objectives.
December 1, 2025
All three remaining applicants (Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, and Resorts World New York City) were selected by the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board to apply to the New York State Gaming Commission for commercial casino licensure.
December 15, 2025
The New York State Gaming Commission unanimously voted to license Bally’s Bronx (Ferry Point, The Bronx), Hard Rock Metropolitan Park (Willets Point, Queens), and Resorts World New York City (Aqueduct, Queens). These approvals represented the final administrative step in the process and effectively concluded the decade-long effort to expand full-service, Vegas-style gaming to downstate New York.
More details on the timeline can be found in a June 28, 2024 press release from the Gaming Facility Location Board.
What was CB6’s Role in the Casino License Awarding Process?
CB6 did not have the power to approve or reject any casino proposal, as State law did not create a role for community boards in this process. The CAC—not CB6–decided on whether a casino proposal would advance or be rejected for lack of community support. However, as with any issue of importance to our district, CB6 advocated for the views of our district residents. To that end, in March 2023 CB6 passed a resolution opposing the siting of a casino anywhere in Manhattan Community District 6. Additionally, CB6 also passed a resolution calling for the original development plans for the lot in question (on the east side of First Avenue, between East 38th Street and East 41st Street) to be adhered to.
Additionally, in January 2024 CB6 passed a resolution opposing the Gaming Facility Text Amendment. The Gaming Facility Text Amendment was a Citywide Text Amendment that sought to change the city zoning code to introduce gaming facilities as-of-right within specified zoning districts across the city, bypassing the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and diminishing the voice of community boards and the public in the casino location review process. Under the zoning rules at the time, casinos were not permitted in Manhattan Community District 6. The Gaming Facility Text Amendment removes that obstacle to building a casino in our district and other districts across the city. In April 2024, the City Council voted to approve the Gaming Facility Text Amendment.