- Two bids for casinos in Time’s Square were rejected in Wednesday’s community advisory committee votes.
- Caesars Entertainment and SL Green Realty Corp. failed to secure votes, leaving just one
- Manhattan casino proposal in the competition for a New York gaming license.
- Three New York casino gaming licenses will be awarded by December 1, 2025.
NEW YORK – Proposals for Caesars Palace Times Square in Manhattan were rejected by community advisory committees on Wednesday. Only one downstate New York casino proposal remains alive in the competition for three gaming licenses in the state.
The reality of casinos in New York is inevitable, but finding the best-fitting locations and operators is the only question. According to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, they expect to make their decision on the winners of the state’s three commercial gaming licenses by December 1, 2025.
SL Green CEO Confronts Voters After Casino Proposal Rejection
In a video posted to X, SL Green CEO Marc Holliday confronted those that voted against the $5.4 billion Times Square casino proposal. Of the six-person community advisory committee, the only votes in favor of the casino came from representatives of Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul.
“You know it, we met the standard and then some. The only one with courage to stand up is the governor and the mayor appointees, and everybody else runs and hides. Go run and hide,” said Holliday as voters left the room. “Because what you did, the benefits you denied this community and this city and state, you have to live with that history forever.”
A final vote meeting for the Freedom Plaza Community Advisory Committee is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. ET. The final vote meeting for the MGM Empire City Advisory Committee is scheduled for the same time on Thursday, Sept. 25.
New York will have legal casinos planned by 2026, but eight more committee meetings will determine who gets awarded the precious gaming licenses. With many against Manhattan casinos, Steve Cohen’s casino project near Citi Field in Queens is a serious contender for one of the licenses.