Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NY officially solicits bids for full-fledged casino with license fee set at $500M
By
David Cruz
Published Jan 3, 2023
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 .
Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
By
David Cruz
Published Jan 3, 2023
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
New York's bid to award up to three licenses for full-fledged casinos advanced on Tuesday after officials unanimously voted to formally solicit applications, with an asking price of $500 million for each license.
The state Gaming Facility Location Board voted to open up the application process for a full-fledged casino, which would allow live table games and create more tax revenue for the state.
The board will review each application and consider several factors, including how many jobs a prospective operator plans to create, how much revenue a casino expects to bring in, and a commitment to contract with minority and women-owned business enterprises. Jobs generated by casinos must also pay a living wage.
Applications must also be reviewed and approved by a community advisory committee. Each application fee costs $1 million, according to the board's website.
Times Square is another potential site for a casino after Caesars Entertainment, in partnership with SL Green Realty Corp., expressed interest in building a casino there.
Photo by Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress/Getty
The plan to bring more full-scale casinos goes back a decade, when New Yorkers voted to approve the authorization of upwards of seven commercial casinos across the state. Four of those licenses have since been approved.
The latest round of solicitation for licenses has generated interest from Thor Equities, which has partnered with Saratoga Casino Holdings, the Chickasaw Nation and Legends with intentions of building a gaming complex in Coney Island. Immediately following the state's release of the application, the group released a joint statement saying that the neighborhood has "been waiting for a year-round economy that creates not just jobs — but careers."
"We look forward to submitting our bid and setting a new standard in economic revitalization and resiliency for New York," the group wrote in its statement.
But the group isn't the only one looking to build a casino in New York City. In October, SL Green Realty Corp. — a real estate investment trust — revealed its plans to seek a license for a full-fledged casino in Times Square in partnership with Caesars Entertainment.
Resorts World New York City in Queens and Empire City Casino in Yonkers have expressed interest in building a casino, as previously reported by Gothamist, while Wynn Resorts and the Related Companies are considering a bid to build one at Hudson Yards in Manhattan. New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has also expressed interest in building a casino next to the team's home stadium of Citi Field.
Tagged
new york city
economy
casino
David Cruz
David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
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 .