Op-Ed | Making sure NYC casinos are a win-win for New Yorkers

New York City is on the cusp of becoming a casino town.

In the coming days, the State Gaming Facility Location Board is expected to recommend up to three full-service casinos to the State Gaming Commission. With just three applicants left — all within the five boroughs — New York City is closer than ever to hosting gaming as we have never seen.

As the state prepares to take a bet on casinos, New York City must take a clear-eyed look at the stakes and ensure we have the strongest hand possible.

As we outlined in our recent report, “Casting the Dice: Casinos in New York City,” the arrival of full-scale casinos carries extraordinary promise for our city. The three remaining proposals — Bally’s at Ferry Point in the Bronx, Metropolitan Park/Queens Future at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and the expanded Resorts World New York City Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack — represent $17.5 billion in total development.

They stand to create nearly 3,500 new hotel rooms, thousands of permanent jobs, and billions of dollars in projected economic activity. Each proposal includes community benefits and infrastructure investments, including significant open space improvements. Done right, these projects can boost tourism, create union jobs, and generate construction work at a moment when investment is needed.

But casinos also carry real potential costs as well: increased traffic, shifting neighborhood dynamics, and a heightened risk of addictive gambling. These impacts are not abstract — they will be felt most intensely in the communities where these facilities land.

Moreover, currently, New York City will not receive a dime of the gaming tax revenue. Under state law, every dollar generated by the proposed casinos flows to Albany instead of City Hall. In other words, the city will shoulder the social and infrastructure burdens while the state collects the winnings. That imbalance must be addressed.

If New Yorkers are being asked to welcome a casino into our city, then our city must receive its fair share of revenue and real commitments for better transit, community benefits, public realm upgrades, and services to prevent addiction.

The neighborhoods supporting a casino should be prioritized for additional planning and investment. For example, the Aqueduct location should also be examined for significant housing development on 100+ adjoining acres.

Finally, these commitments made by casino applicants must be enforceable and binding, transparent and delivered on a timeline the public can trust.

Casinos are coming. The good news is that if we prioritize smart investments in the neighborhoods supporting a casino, we can ensure they are a win-win for everyone.