Casino License Awarding Process

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 and have entered public review. The State has posted application materials for all eight submissions.

The Community Advisory Committee held its first meeting on July 17th. During the meeting, the committee took care of some procedural matters and heard a presentation from the casino license applicant team. You can view a video of the meeting here. The dates of future meetings and public hearings are still to be determined, but details will be posted as soon as they are confirmed. For the latest information, consult the Gaming Facility Location Board website.

It is a good idea to read this entire Q&A page, as it may answer your questions.

Who determines who’s awarded one of the three remaining casino licenses?

The Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) may select up to three casino applicants for the New York State Gaming Commission to consider for licensure.

But before the GFLB may evaluate an application for a casino license, the application’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) must approve the project and all zoning requirements must be met.

Now that the casino application deadline (June 27, 2025) has passed, the CACs have been appointed. Each of the eight casino applications has a CAC. The members of the CAC for the casino application in Manhattan Community District 6 are listed here.

The NYS Gaming Commission tells us that the CAC “must hold at least two meetings and at least two hearings” to solicit comments from the public. Keep in mind that distinction: “meetings” versus “public hearings”. While both meetings and public hearings will be open to the public, it’ll only be at public hearings where oral testimony from the public will be accepted. Meetings will be reserved for the CAC to conduct any necessary business.

That said, written comments on the Freedom Plaza casino proposal are being accepted as of now. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments to the CAC via:

Email: FreedomPlazaPublicComment@nystec.com

USPS mail:
Freedom Plaza Community Advisory Committee c/o NYSTEC​
Attn: CAC Consultant Team​
540 Broadway​
3rd Floor​
Albany, New York 12207

All comments received regarding Freedom Plaza will be reviewed by the CAC.

While there is no deadline for submitting comments, please note that CACs must complete their work by September 30, 2025. Those wishing to submit comments are advised to do so with adequate time for the CAC review and consideration.

Two-thirds of the members of the CAC must approve the application, in an open meeting, for it to advance to the GFLB for review. That means that if 3 members of the CAC vote against the casino license application, then the application will not proceed, as the GFLB will only consider applications that can demonstrate public support by being approved by a two-thirds threshold of the applicable CAC.

More details on the timeline can be found in a June 28, 2024 press release from the Gaming Facility Location Board.

What is CB6’s Role in the Casino License Awarding Process?

CB6 does not have the power to greenlight or veto any casino proposal, as State law did not create a role for community boards in this process. However, as with any issue of importance to our district, CB6 can advocate 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.

Your Role in the Casino License Awarding Process

Residents of our district also have a role in this process. If you are not sure how you can advocate for your position on the proposed casino, you can do the following:

• Keep up to date on this issue by regularly consulting the Gaming Commission’s website (here and here).
• Sign up for the CB6 Newsletter, as that is how we will inform the community about any developments or hearings.
• Once there are dates for CAC public hearings, attend so that you can express your views.
• Or you can submit your comments in writing to: FreedomPlazaPublicComment@nystec.com
• If you have questions about the casino license awarding process, contact nycasinos@gaming.ny.gov  

Other Resources

On Thursday, February 22nd, Senator Liz Krueger held a Virtual Town Hall on The Impact of Casinos on Urban Communities. The event explored the casino siting process, the fiscal and economic impacts of gaming institutions, and their impact on individuals, businesses, and the surrounding community. You can find a video of Senator Krueger’s Town Hall on the Senator’s website.

For your convenience, Senator Kristen Gonzalez has compiled the contact information of all the elected officials that appointed a member of the CAC for the application in this district:

• Governor Kathy Hochul: nycasinos@gaming.ny.gov
• Mayor Eric Adams: https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/mayor-contact.page
• Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine: info@manhattanbp.nyc.gov
• Senator Kristen Gonzalez: gonzalez@nysenate.gov
• Assembly Member Harvey Epstein: epsteinh@nyassembly.gov
• Council Member Keith Powers: kpowers@council.nyc.gov