Overview
- The Gaming Facility Location Board recommended Hard Rock Metropolitan Park at Citi Field, Resorts World at Aqueduct, and Bally’s at Ferry Point for full casino licenses.
- If licensed, each operator would pay a $500 million fee dedicated to the MTA, with consultants projecting roughly $7 billion in gaming tax revenue from 2027–2036 plus $1.5 billion in fees, and a significant share of taxes directed to transit and education.
- If Resorts World is licensed, it could begin table games within months and would trigger Nassau OTB’s “Material Beneficial Event” clause for a higher revenue share, as regulators say a VLT facility and a full casino cannot coexist in the same complex.
- The Hard Rock plan next to Citi Field is a $5.3 billion resort targeting a June 2030 opening and includes a proposed $761 million community benefits package and a revamped transit station.
- Bally’s Ferry Point proposal requires rezoning of public land after a City Council rejection that the mayor vetoed, and critics raise concerns about cannibalization and displacement even as supporters tout jobs and new tax revenue.