Senate Leader Stewart-Cousins Supports MGM Empire City Casino Conversion; NYC Licenses Accelerated
According to the New York Post, Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) stated during a news conference on Tuesday that she would, of course, support her hometown casino, which has already done the work. She further added that she favors Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to expedite the process of bidding for at least three additional casinos in NYC or the neighboring suburbs. The news may also help Genting’s Resorts World at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, opening a complete casino with live card table games.
When the yearly budget for the state was presented in January, Governor Hochul first made public her plans to speed up the timeline for casino licensing. The Gaming Commission has a strategy to grant licenses, and interested parties have begun to sign letters of intent. These new casinos would join others currently operating in the state’s upper reaches.
Yonkers’ MGM Empire City
Seven of the state’s 11 upstate casinos are owned by Native American tribes, whereas four casinos opened after a 2013 constitutional change. Other downstate casinos are prohibited until 2023, but Hochul’s plan would eliminate fines downstate operators would otherwise pay owners of upstate casinos if they pressed ahead before the expiry of the ban.
Resorts World at Aqueduct and MGM Empire City intend to apply for full casino licenses to provide live card table games. Moreover, there are 5,300 slots in MGM’s casino, which opened in 2006; Resorts World at Aqueduct has roughly 6,000 electronic slots and table games.
The two sites are advantageous for the casino license, considering their ease of expansion and community backing. According to Empire City’s website, a complete gaming resort will “increase tax revenue and quality union jobs” by keeping entertainment and tourism expenditures in New York.
New York’s Resorts World Casino
According to Resort World, if they are awarded a full casino license, they will be in a unique position to instantly increase their support for the state in several key ways.
According to officials, gaming in downstate New York is “full of untapped potential,” and Hochul’s proposal is a crucial step in “showcasing the state’s great possibilities.”
The Genting-owned company claims it has received “unconditional support” from various community leaders over the previous decade. Like MGM, the corporation claims that expanding its gambling options would lead to more good-paying union jobs, state assistance, and more support for local companies.
Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ public support is comparable to that of other Lawmakers, who have likewise backed established venues in their quest to extend their services. According to the New York Post, Resorts World has the backing of Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Senators Leroy Comrie and Joe Addabbo Jr., and Stacey Pheffer Amato, the Assemblywoman.
