Bill to Expedite NYC Casino Licenses on Life Support
Legislation to speed up bidding for three New York City-area casino licenses faces a bleak near-term outlook. The objective of the bill was to open the window for proposals by the end of this month, but that appears unlikely because there’s less than three weeks left in August.
Compounding the ominous fate of the legislation is the point that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) hasn’t publicly endorsed the bill. In May, Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) proposed bills in their respective chambers that would have allowed gaming companies to submit proposals for the three downstate permits at the end of July. That date was pushed out to Aug. 31, but if approved, it could have put mid-2025 on the table for a decision on the winning bidders.
