The group pitching a Times Square casino will donate $5 million to a local LGBTQ+ sexual health clinic if the state approves their casino license application, amNewYork has learned.
Caesars Palace Times Square—a joint bid between entertainment companies SL Green, Caesars Entertainment, and Roc Nation—would bring a casino and entertainment complex to the center of Times Square. However, it has faced pushback from community members and state officials.
In a move to entice state officials to approve the project, Caesars Palace will grant the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, an LGBTQ+ health non-profit, $2 million to support existing projects and $3 million to build a new Center for Excellence in Sexual Health — but only if the casino is approved.
According to Patrick McGovern, Callen-Lorde’s chief executive officer, the investment would allow the Company to offer rapid screening for sexually transmitted infections (STI) to more patients with new technology and facilities.
“The 20,000-square-foot facility in Hell’s Kitchen will include check-in kiosks, self-swab stations, exam rooms, and on-site lab equipment capable of delivering rapid STI results for over 15 patients at a time per machine,” McGovern said in a statement. “This high-volume, tech-enabled model is designed for efficiency, confidentiality, and inclusivity — ensuring that those most impacted by HIV and STIs can access innovative, potentially life-saving care.”
The donation aims to address disparities in STI transmission rates, including among LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color, according to a press release shared exclusively with amNewYork.
Caesars Palace is competing with at least eight other sites for three downstate casino licenses in the coming years.
The proponents’ promise is the latest in a series of efforts to convince community members and state lawmakers to support its casino proposal. In June 2024, the companies announced a $250 million community investment program that would support composting, street trees, local businesses and infrastructure.
Brett Herschenfeld, senior vice president at SL Green, said in a statement that Callen-Lorde is an example of “strong institutions” that the development firm likes to support.
“We are proud to support the expansion of their critical services in Hell’s Kitchen, where this state-of-the-art facility will dramatically improve access to rapid testing and treatment for New Yorkers most at risk,” Herschenfeld said. “This is the kind of community-centered innovation our city needs.”
The companies pitch themselves as building a casino the “New York way,” according to a press release shared with amNewYork, and claim the casino will bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the area and bolster tax revenue. Their supporters include some union leaders and high-profile Times Square businesses, as well as influential developers around the city.
But critics — including leading local representatives — say the casino would overcrowd Times Square and hurt both Broadway theater and local businesses. Several prominent New York City organizations — such as teachers’ unions, theater groups, activist groups, and neighborhood associations — have joined the No Times Square Casino coalition, which argues the casino would increase congestion and crime while slowing cultural and economic development.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-47), who is running for Manhattan Borough President, said he is “100% opposed” to a Times Square casino because of gaming’s adverse impacts on mental health.
“They prey on addiction, they prey on our most vulnerable,” Hoylman-Sigal said during a May 30 debate for borough president on NY1. “I haven’t had a single constituent come up to me and say, ‘Senator, let me have a casino in my neighborhood.’ It’s not going to happen under my watch.
A similar proposal for a casino in Hudson Yards was scrapped in May after the local City Council member, Erik Bottcher, facing community pushback, worked to craft a new plan with developers to build more housing and office space rather than the casino.
Bottcher, who also represents Times Square, said in a May 19 statement that he made the decision after extensive community input.
“This casino proposal did not meet the high bar of community support that such a consequential project demands,” Bottcher wrote. “I have always said that any development of this scale must put the needs of New Yorkers first — and that means housing.”
The casino proposal is currently undergoing environmental review and had its first virtual scoping session on May 28. Before being reviewed by the state Gaming Commission, the proposal first has to pass the Community Advisory Committee, a local group made up of six people — the governor, mayor, the local state senator, local state assembly member, the borough president and the local city council member each appoint a representative.
McGovern said the casino is a tremendous opportunity for the city, and Callen-Lorde looks forward to working with the three companies.
“The team behind Caesars Palace Times Square has taken a real and genuine interest in the health and well-being of the Hell’s Kitchen community,” McGovern said.
