New York state lawmakers have passed a bill to speed up the granting of casino licenses in New York City.
The state legislature was scheduled to end its activities on June 6, but stayed beyond that deadline to vote on the bill.
The governor will receive SB 9673 on casinos soon
Senator Joseph Addabbo and Representative Gary Pretlow proposed SB 9673, which the Senate and Assembly approved. So, the next step is to send it to Governor Kathy Hochul for approval.
An amendment added by Addabbo states that the New York Gaming Facility Location Board must make recommendations on the selection of upstate casinos by December 31, 2025.
Therefore, registrations must be made by August 31st of this year. But the deadline for issuing licenses will be March 31, 2026. But SB9673 also allows interested developers to apply for casino licenses while they are still in the process of resolving land use issues.
Therefore, New York plans to issue three upstate casino licenses. But applicants must meet certain environmental standards, including the State/City Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR).
To date, there are 11 known competitors, including:
- MGM Resorts International
- Wynn Resorts
- Las Vegas Sands
- Caesars Entertainment
These operators listed above were also the only ones that presented their initial plans for casinos in the US state.
