Overview

• MGM’s Empire City in Yonkers advanced on a 5-0 Community Advisory Committee vote, the first bid to clear the local hurdle in the downstate licensing process.
• Resorts World at Aqueduct in Queens followed with a unanimous CAC vote, sending both incumbents to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board for review.
• All three Manhattan proposals — Times Square, Hudson Yards/Avenir and Freedom Plaza — were rejected by their local panels, removing the borough from contention.
• MGM proposes a $2.3 billion, 863,500-square-foot expansion with $100 million in infrastructure commitments, targeting gaming operations in 2027 and full buildout by 2029.
• Resorts World outlines a $5.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot redevelopment featuring a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor, 2,000 hotel rooms and a 7,000-seat venue, with operations possible as early as summer 2026.