New York City’s years-long casino race reached a decisive moment this week as the New York Gaming Facility Location Board unanimously recommended three downstate projects for full commercial casino licenses: Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park next to Citi Field, and an expanded Resorts World New York City at Aqueduct Racetrack.
If the state Gaming Commission follows through by December 31, New York will unlock one of the largest urban casino clusters in the United States. Combined, the trio is expected to generate about $7 billion in gaming tax revenue and $5.9 billion in other taxes between 2027 and 2036, plus $1.5 billion in upfront license fees at $500 million per project. Much of that cash is earmarked for the MTA and public education, turning casino floor drops into subway and classroom funding.
The projects themselves are pitched as once-in-a-generation investments. Bally’s Bronx promises a $4 billion integrated resort on the former Trump Ferry Point golf course, calling it the largest private investment in borough history, with 15,000 construction jobs, 4,000 permanent union positions and al menos $625 millones en community benefits, incluyendo mejoras en parques y gasto en seguridad pública.
Across the East River, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park aims to transform 50 acres of Citi Field parking lots into an $8 billion mix of casino, hotel, entertainment district and 25 acres of new parkland. The Cohen–Hard Rock team touts 23,000 union jobs and over $1 billion in community benefits, framing the project as a green, “community-first” redevelopment rather than just another gambling palace.
Queens Casino race heats up as Metropolitan Park project wins CAC approval
Meanwhile, Resorts World NYC is already operating as a racino and pitches itself as the only contender capable of delivering new MTA revenue as soon as 2026, backed by a $7.5 billion plan combining site development and $2 billion in community benefits. The operator projects $2.5 billion to the MTA in the next four years alone, exceeding current budget expectations for casino-derived transit funding.
Still, the path is not all glitz and spreadsheets. Community groups in Queens and the Bronx warn of problem gambling, traffic and neighborhood disruption, staging protests and accusing the state of leaning too heavily on casinos as an economic crutch. With the Board’s picks now on the table, the final move belongs to the New York State Gaming Commission. If it signs off, New York’s bet is clear: billions in public money and tens of thousands of jobs in exchange for putting Vegas-style gaming right at the heart of America’s biggest city.
