Final OK: 3 Casinos Officially Coming to NY’s Outer Boroughs
There will officially be two casinos coming to Queens, and one to the Bronx. After sustained local opposition killed multiple proposals earlier this year, Manhattan will either be spared or deprived–depending on one’s perspective–of any new gambling facilities.
| 16 Dec 2025 | 05:34
Three casinos are now officially coming to NYC, as of Dec. 15, including a Hard Rock complex near to Citi Field in Flushing (above). Manhattan projects were taken out of the running this fall, due to local opposition. (
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One Manhattan proposal that failed to pass local review was Soloviev Group’s Freedom Plaza, which would have been located near the United Nations. The developer is now developing alternative plans for the site. (
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Three casinos are officially coming to the NYC area, after the New York State Gambling Commission provided a final go-ahead on Dec. 15. None will be located in Manhattan, after local pressure killed an array of proposals by aspiring mega-developers this fall.
The casinos—two in Queens, and one in the Bronx—cleared their second-to-last hurdle on Dec. 1, when the five-member New York Gaming Facility Location Board provided them with a crucial “yes” vote. There will now be traditional gambling facilities at the Bally’s Bronx golf course (Ferry’s Point), next to Citi Field (Flushing), and at the Aqueduct Racetrack (Jamaica).
Bally’s will oversee the Bronx casino, which will come with a $115 million payment to the Trump Organization, which used to manage the course. Hard Rock will run the Citi Field site alongside Steve Cohen, the billionaire owner of the Mets, while the casino in Jamaica will be developed alongside preexisting horse-betting infrastructure run by Resorts World. It is thus expected to get off the ground the fastest, within months.
The Gambling Commission formally signaled that they would grant the three licenses during a meeting held at Riverside State Park, located off Riverside Drive in Northern Manhattan.
“To all three who have been granted this conditional license, congratulations on behalf of the state of New York. We look forward to seeing the jobs, economic development, infrastructure, and gaming revenue come to fruition,” Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer said.
“For myself, as a longtime lawyer for labor unions in this city, I am looking forward to the creation of hundreds, if not thousands, of good union jobs in Queens and in the Bronx,” he added.
Yet he also seemed to acknowledge the pronounced public pushback that has killed off more than a few license contenders, and noted that the licensees would face regular review from the Commission: “You all have a difficult charge ahead, important charge ahead of you along with great responsibility and you can be assured that this commission takes our responsibility in keeping your feet to the fire.”
To that end, O’Dwyer continued, a monitor will determine whether the licensees are keeping their “wonderful promises...to our communities.” This will reportedly happen on a quarterly basis, for five years.
NY Governor Hochul, for her part, issued a supportive statement that called the Commission’s vote “the culmination of a multi-year, community-driven process.” She said that the licenses “were only awarded to proposals that had local support, clear community benefits and sustainable economic plans.”
Back in October, a slew of Manhattan proposals were basically deemed as lacking “clear community benefits” during local review, conducted by politically-appointed CACs (Community Advisory Committees).
Stymied hopefuls included Silverstein Properties, which hoped to build something called the “Avenir” on 11th Ave., while Soloviev Group was denied their proposal to build Freedom Plaza on 1st Ave., near the United Nations. A Jay-Z endorsed Caesar’s Palace in Times Square also ran aground.
Another massive proposal put forward by Related Co., which wanted to bring gambling to Hudson Yards, didn’t make it to the CAC stage after sustained local opposition. The developer is now reusing much of its prospective casino blueprint to pursue a controversial housing development there.