Published on: October 9, 2025, 10:01h.
Updated on: October 9, 2025, 10:17h.
- The New York Gaming Facility Location Board convened for the first time since the bidding process concluded in June.
- Four proposals remain for three downstate New York casino licenses.
- The Board is not required to approve all three licenses.
The New York Gaming Facility Location Board held its inaugural meeting following the conclusion of the state’s bidding for three downstate casino licenses on June 27.
Eight bids were submitted for the sought-after licenses, which include advantages for slot machines akin to those in Las Vegas, live-dealer games, and retail sports betting. The Community Advisory Committee process resulted in only four bids receiving local backing.
The five-member Gaming Facility Location Board ultimately decides which bids will receive licenses. The final proposals are Bally’s Bronx, MGM Empire City (Westchester), Hard Rock Metropolitan Park (Queens), and Resorts World New York City (Queens).
Each casino license entails a one-time fee of $500 million.
Bally’s Bronx at Ferry Point Park proposes a $4 billion investment. MGM is suggesting a $2.3 billion renovation of its Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway. Hard Rock and billionaire Steve Cohen plan to allocate $8.1 billion at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. Meanwhile, Resorts World’s parent company Genting has proposed a $5.5 billion redevelopment of its video lottery racino at the Aqueduct Raceway near JFK International Airport.
Composition of the Board
The New York Gaming Facility Location Board is composed of five members who possess extensive expertise in finance, urban planning, economics, commercial real estate, and executive management.
Although board members do not receive a salary, they are compensated for any expenses incurred. The board, which has seen continuous rotation throughout its decade-long existence, recently added its fifth member, Cindy Estrada, just 10 days ago.
Estrada, a lifelong resident of the Bronx, has been an entrepreneur since the age of 19 and currently serves as the executive director of the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Terryl Brown, appointed in February, is the vice president and general counsel at Pace University. Marion Phillips III and Greg Reimers joined the board in January.
Phillips serves as the senior vice president for community development and diversity, equity, and inclusion at US News & World Report. He previously held the position of senior VP for community relations at New York State’s Empire Development.
Reimers is a retired executive from JPMorgan Chase and The Bank of New York.
Chairing the board is Vicki Been, who admitted earlier this year that she has “never visited a casino,” adding that casinos are “not a place where I prefer to spend my time.”
Been is the longest-serving member of the board, having been appointed in October 2022. She is the Judge Edward Weinfeld Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, an affiliated professor of public policy at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the faculty director of NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.
Three Licenses Up for Grabs, But Not Assured
At the October 8 meeting of the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, Been indicated that the panel has the authority to award up to three casino licenses but is not obligated to do so.
Been outlined the review process, focusing on which proposals are most viable for immediate financing and construction, and which submissions promise substantial regional economic growth.
Been emphasized that while the board “can” grant up to three licenses, it is not compelled to “issue any” if the proposals do not meet the standards or fail to achieve the state’s objectives regarding casino establishment.