The New York State Gaming Commission voted Monday afternoon to approve three downstate casinos in New York City, granting the green light to the Metropolitan Park and Resorts World projects in Queens.
The Dec. 15 vote represents the last step in a years-long process to award three licenses to proposed developments in the New York metropolitan area and is a rubber-stamp for the proposed Hard Rock Metropolitan Park development at Citi Field and the Resorts World development in South Ozone Park in addition to the Bally’s proposal in the Bronx.
The Commission has awarded 15-year licenses to both Resorts World and Bally’s, awarding a 20-year license to Metropolitan Park based on the total financial commitment that each project has made.
Delivering the verdict at the Robert F. Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Riverside State Park on Monday, Gaming Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer said the three bids represented thousands of “good, union jobs” for Queens and the Bronx.
Licenses contingent on third-party watchdog
However, O’Dwyer said the awarding of the license was contingent on each bid agreeing to sign a monitoring agreement with an independent third-party to ensure that the projects “do not deviate” from standards required by the state. The third-party monitor, which must be approved by the Commission, will also be responsible for ensuring that each projects delivers on substantial community promises over the next five years.
“We will hear from you regularly,” O’Dwyer said, addressing the three bids. “We will ask the monitor to report on a quarterly basis to us as to how you have complied with the many wonderful promises that you have made to our communities over the next five years.”
O’Dwyer said the Commission will be closely monitoring each project to ensure that they are hiring minority and women-owned businesses.
If the independent monitor reports that any bid is not keeping the promises it made to the local community, the Commission will give “serious consideration” to revoking its license, O’Dwyer said. He added that the Commission retains the power to revoke a license even after construction has begun.
Applicants and elected officials react
However, representatives from all three bids welcomed Monday’s conditional approval.
Mets owner Steven Cohen, who launched the Metropolitan Park bid alongside Hard Rock International, welcomed Monday’s verdict, stating that the project represents an opportunity to improve the area surrounding Citi Field.
“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 in a statement. “Now, we are going to be able to deliver the sports and entertainment district that our fans have been asking for.”
Jim Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International, also welcomed the verdict, stating that Metropolitan Park will become a “global destination” for hospitality and entertainment.
“The Commission’s decision confirms the positive impact this project will have on New York City, the state, and the region, and we’re excited to build on our long record of delivering world-class entertainment experiences here in Queens,” Allen said.
Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, which oversees Resorts World in South Ozone Park, said Resorts World welcomes Monday’s decision and added that the company expects to launch full casino operations in early 2026.
“We look forward to opening within months as New York City’s first full commercial casino,” DeSalvio said in a statement.
A number of elected officials welcomed news that both Queens bids had received the green light to open casinos in the borough.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said the vote represents the “dawn of a more financially secure future” for thousands of residents across the borough by creating tens of thousands of union jobs. He also touted the promises that both Metropolitan Park and Resorts World have made to their local communities.
“From the first blueprints to the final vote, the pocket aces that are Metropolitan Park and Resorts World have both embodied what it means to be community-centered, with each offering unparalleled neighborhood benefits packages that will strengthen our physical and societal infrastructure,” Richards said in a statement.
Council Member Francisco Moya, who represents the area covering the proposed Metropolitan Park development, said the Commission’s decision represents a “major win” for Queens.
Monday decision interrupted by protesters
A small number of protesters interrupted Monday’s meeting shortly after the Commission voted to award a license to the Metropolitan Park development, accusing the Commission of choosing “a billionaire over New Yorkers.”
Meanwhile, the Flushing Workers Center, which led multiple protests against the Metropolitan Park bid, called for Gov. Kathy Hochul to resign in the wake of Monday’s decision.
“Governor Hochul has shown her true allegiance to billionaires and corporations by approving these casinos. She is a disgrace to New York State and should resign from public office,” the group said in a statement.
The group accused casino bids of manipulating the public hearing process and have consistently described casinos as predatory businesses that target vulnerable members of the community.
Hochul said Monday’s decision was the culmination of a multi-year “community-driven process” that ensured that licenses were only awarded to projects that had support from the local community with clear community benefits.
“Each of the projects made significant commitments to their communities and to New York State, and the Gaming Commission was clear that they will hold these projects accountable and make sure they keep their promises. That is what New Yorkers expect and what they deserve,” Hochul said in a statement.
Monday’s decision was something of a formality after the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board unanimously recommended awarding all three licenses in a Dec. 1 vote.
Delivering that verdict, the board touted an anticipated $7 billion in gaming tax revenue generated between 2027 and 2036 alongside an additional $5.9 billion in other tax revenue, including hotel and sales tax. Each applicant will also pay $500 million toward a license fee, generating a further $1.5 billion for the state, the board said.
The majority of tax revenue generated from the three projects will be evenly split between the MTA and the State’s Department of Education.
The three bids were the last remaining developments of what was once a crowded field to obtain a highly-coveted downstate license, with three Manhattan bids and one Brooklyn project voted down by relevant Community Advisory Committees (CACs). MGM Empire City, an existing racino in Yonkers with slot machines but no table games, later made the shock decision to withdraw from the process, leaving just three projects vying for up to three licenses.
Some questions had remained whether all three licenses would be awarded or whether the state would reject certain proposals.
Resorts World aiming for March 2026 opening date
Resorts World, which already operates slot machines at its South Ozone Park location, has announced that it will expand to include table games as early as March next year. Both Metropolitan Park and Bally’s are anticipated to come online by 2030.
Resorts World has outlined a $5.5 billion proposal to transform the existing racino into a sprawling 5.6 million square-foot development that the gaming company says will create thousands of jobs, generate expansive public amenities and deliver new, inclusive growth for southeast Queens. It has also pledged a further $2 billion in community benefits.
Metropolitan Park, meanwhile, aims to transform 50 acres of Citi Field parking lot into a sprawling casino complex featuring a 25-acre public park, new shops and restaurants, a Taste of Queens food hall and the full-scale redevelopment of the Mets-Willets Point subway station.
The development, a joint venture by Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, also pledged to create 23,000 union jobs, with a priority for local hires.
Metropolitan Park will also feature a 1,000-key hotel, approximately 39% of which will be suites, and a 5,600-seater entertainment venue.
The $8.1 billion Metropolitan Park development includes up to $1 billion in community investment.
Tom Grech, president of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said Monday’s vote was a “long time coming” for Queens and added that the billions of dollars of private investment represents a “game changer” for the borough.
“These opportunities are once in a lifetime, generational changes, and we’re just so excited to get started,” Grech said.
Grech described individuals who interrupted Monday’s meeting and groups who regularly protested against the Metropolitan Park development as an “annoyance.”
He noted that the Metropolitan Park bid, in particular, had gone through extensive approvals processes, including receiving overwhelming approval from the City Council during the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). He also pointed to overwhelming approval from both houses of the state legislation for parkland alienation legislation necessary for the Metropolitan Park project.
“We feel very confident that communities in both areas have spoken and it’s going to be a win across the board,” Grech said.
