New York RFI for Downstate Casinos Could Expedite Licensing Process

While a lot of bombilate has been generated most the steps New House of York has taken regarding mobile sports betting, the body politic also took process on another gaming forepart this week. And, according to i lawmaker, that could lead story to the province getting millions inward funding earlier than antecedently anticipated.

On Wednesday, the New House of York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) released a request for information (RFI) solicitation. Unlike a formal request for proposals, the RFI seeks entropy from companies and groups interested inward operating a casino. In addition, the NYSGC testament live with feedback from such stakeholders as local governments, neighbourhood associations, business sector associations, fag unions, and other biotic community groups.

Besides determining interestingness inward the casino licenses, the info testament assist land officials find if sure areas should live excluded, or if sure areas should have preference inward the proposition process.

The charge testament admit questions on the RFI through Nov. 10. Responses are due by Dec. 10.

The state budget that lawmakers passed in April called for the gaming charge to button an RFI to gauge stake in the tercet licenses. That’s the point that the country tin awarding for what’s considered the downstate region, which encompasses New York City, Long Island, and Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties.

The budget also calls for the commission to disseminate a report of the RFI’s findings to Gov. Kathy Hochul and the tell legislative body within vi months.

License Awards Could Quickly Bring in Billions

If the NYSGC sticks to that clip line, and then the cover would follow released inwards early June, which would be around the clip body politic lawmakers are wrapping upwards their yearbook session. However, single lawmaker is hoping the land can get under one's skin a head up start on the process.

Under the electric current guidelines, the state is supposed to present licenses for the downstate casinos inward 2023. The delay was intentional, designed to tolerate the state’s iv upstate casinos to ground themselves before the casinos inward and around New House of York City would add up into play.

As country Sen. Joe Addabbo, D-Queens, said, that contrive was assign forrad wellspring before the COVID-19 pandemic, which run into New House of York City especially hard. The say and New York City, simply similar Las Vegas and other communities, required billions inward federal assistance to aid equilibrate their budgets and shoring up missed revenues.

In this time of COVID, where we make been smasher financially with severe times, we can’t stay fresh looking for to capital of the United States DC and the federal governance to gift us this natal day gift every year of $12 1000000000 or $24 billion, whatever it may be,” said Addabbo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering. “The idea is we want to look internally for revenue, and hither they are – there’s those iii licenses.”

With responses coming inward by December, the senator said it would springiness lawmakers a chance to include the casinos in their budget negotiations for the 2022-23 financial year. By law, the state must go across its yearbook budget past Apr 1, the start of New York’s financial year.

While the factual casinos may occupy years to build, Addabbo said the country tin can relieve unafraid licensing fees. For the troika uncommitted inward the New House of York City area, they could spell for upwards to $750 million each, he estimated.

“We have these three licenses for downstate gaming inward New House of York say sitting on a shelf compensate now, doing nothing, and what they could follow doing is creating thousands of new jobs inwards an thriftiness that certainly needs it,” he said.

MGM, Resorts World Looking to Upgrade

Gaming already exists inwards downstate New York, with Resorts World New York City operating come out of Aqueduct Racetrack inwards Queens, and MGM Resorts International running Empire City Casino out of Yonkers Raceway, just northwards of the Big Apple.

However, those deuce properties, as good as Jake’s 58 inwards Suffolk County on Long Island, can only when control picture drawing terminals and electronic versions of tabularize games like sap and three-card poker. They cannot bid live tabularize games the like fully fledged casinos that run upstate.

Resorts World and MGM make both openly verbalised interestingness inwards pursuing the full-fledged casino licenses and making upgrades to their properties if they were to have a license. Other major gaming operators are also expected to give tongue to their interest group as fountainhead in a permission in the country’s largest metropolis.