New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Steadfast on Downstate Casinos

A Democrat in the New York State Senate has said that Governor Kathy Hochul remains steadfast in expediting the issuing of licenses for three downstate casinos. The legislation allowing them was originally passed in 2013. Four upstate and three downstate casinos were included in that bill. 

Why There Haven’t Been Downstate Casinos Since 2013

While there are four upstate casinos, the three downstate ones have yet to launch. After the legislation was passed in 2013, there was a 10-year moratorium on allowing downstate casinos. This allowed the upstate casinos to establish their players without immediate competition from downstate. 

The three downstate casinos come with a $500 million licensing fee and massive taxes for an area that needs additional funding for major transportation infrastructure upgrades. 

Hochul Holding Things Up

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, the head of the chamber’s Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee, sponsored legislation earlier this year to speed up the licensing process. He endorsed the bill, and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow wanted bids for the three downstate casinos to be submitted by Aug. 31, nearly a year before the current deadline of June 27, 2025. 

The bill from Addabbo and Pretlow passed in the Assembly and Senate in June, but it remains stalled. Lawmakers haven’t forwarded it to Hochul because they believe she’ll veto it. 

Addabbo told Spectrum News that he’s hopeful Hochul will change her mind and speed the process along, as it will lead to $1.5 billion in revenue for the state and thousands of jobs. 

“These are great union jobs. We’re talking about each site having at least a thousand construction jobs. Post-construction, each of them [will have] 2,500,” Addabbo said.

There are currently 11 bids, with two preliminarily believed to be given to MGM Resorts Empire City Casino and Genting’s Resorts World. These racinos offer slot-like video lottery terminals and electronic table games. 

Where This Goes From Here

From here, the winning bidders won’t be announced until Dec. 1, 2025, at the latest. This is, of course, unless Hochul follows Addabbo and Pretlow’s lead. 

Other casinos, like Caesars and Wynn, are preparing offers. Hard Rock also linked up with Steve Cohen, which could lead to an integrated resort at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. 

There are other casinos, including Mohegan for the East Side, Bally’s with a casino at its golf course in the Bronz, and more.