Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Albany Awash With Dirty Casino Money
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 7, 2014
Modified Jul 7, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 7, 2014
Modified Jul 7, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Casino interests in Albany spent $11 million in lobbying and political donations in 2012 and 2013, but the real figure may be much higher. The $6.7 million in lobbying and $4.3 million in campaign contributions were tallied in a report issued by NYPIRG today (see below), which points out that state law does not require lobbying expenditures to be disclosed for municipalities that have populations under 50,000. "As this analysis reveals, 15 of the 16 municipalities that are the proposed host sites for casinos have populations that fall under the 50,000 resident threshold," the report reads.
State law also prohibits corporations from donating more than $5,000 a year to political candidates and committees, but that law doesn't apply to LLCs, which is why NYPIRG needed help from Laura Nahmias at Captial to identify the "vaguely-named holdings" who are shoveling casino cash into public servants' coffers.
Governor Cuomo promised to close that LLC loophole in the past, and the Moreland Commission on Public Corruption has recommended that lawmakers to eliminate it. But Cuomo has taken $6.2 million from LLCs since taking office, and that Moreland Commission? “It’s my commission. My subpoena power, my Moreland Commission. I can appoint it, I can disband it...I can’t 'interfere' with it, because it is mine. It is controlled by me.”
Cuomo received $55,000 from casino interests in 2012 and 2013, while Attorney General Eric Schneiderman received $66,000. State Democratic interests received around $277,000 from casino bidders, while Republican interests got $191,000.
Genting, the company that owns and operates the Resorts World Casino, outspent all the other casino interests on lobbying, with nearly $2.5 million in two years. The New York Gaming Commission spent $1.6 million.
Casino lobbying was supposed to be illegal, the report notes, until "this provision was quietly removed soon before the final version of the bill was voted on….The change was made so hastily that some language referencing the nonexistent ban remained in the version that passed."
Tagged
Andrew Schneiderman
casinos
corruption
frauds
gambling
genting
governor cuomo
hypocrisy
moreland commission
racino
resorts world
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 1:16 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 17, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .