[NYguy]

The state's inability to get out of it's own way amazes me. It didn't have to be this way. That shows you that somebody who didn't know what they were doing created this convoluted process.


https://www.politico.com/news/2024/0...-bids-00148669

Why New York’s casino bidding process will continue to face delays
To the chagrin of lawmakers, downstate casinos are a long ways away.





By JASON BEEFERMAN
03/25/2024

The wait for a downstate casino is not ending anytime soon.

The state Gaming Commission indicated last week that it likely won’t start accepting applications in the high-stakes casino bidding war until the City Council approves a land use change necessary to build a casino in the five boroughs.

The state commission previously said it would also not begin considering those applications until state-appointed advisory committees meet to evaluate the bids.

That means casino licenses won’t be awarded for many more months, if not longer — much to the chagrin of gaming supporters.

The commission is expected to provide further detail into the process’s timeline at its meeting Monday. At the very least, the regulatory body suggested it will not open the bidding process until the approval of a citywide zoning change, which could happen in the coming weeks.

But it is likely they could wait on accepting applications until some bids obtain additional zoning approvals — like state legislation or city zoning modifications — specific to their projects.

“The Board is cognizant of the many factors relating to the zoning requirement, including New York City’s proposed text amendment relating to gaming facilities and of the many zoning-related questions posed by applicants during the first two rounds of questions,” reads a statement from the Gaming Commission, referencing the powerful Gaming Facility Location Board, which will ultimately award the licenses. “The updated timeline, expected to be finalized soon, will consider these and other factors.”

The council’s subcommittee on zoning and franchises will hold a hearing on a citywide amendment to enable casino development Tuesday, one week after the process was launched by the City Planning Commission.

And despite efforts by the state Legislature and some casino companies to hasten the process, each project must first get sign-off from ad hoc casino boards appointed by state and city leaders for their applications to be considered. None of those boards have even been set up yet.

So the process to award three gambling licenses in the nation’s largest untapped gaming market, which was initially expected to be at or near conclusion by now, appears far from over. As a result, some of the world’s largest casino companies remain in an ongoing and costly lobbying campaign to win local and, then ultimately, state approval.

The projects will cost billions of dollars and are massive — one proposal would place a casino next to Citi Field in Queens, another aims to attract gamblers to Times Square and a third to the Coney Island boardwalk.

But two years after the state agreed to expedite the licensing process for the New York City area, the commission is urging patience.

“The Gaming Facility Location Board will provide applicants a reasonable amount of time to obtain zoning approval for their proposed projects – a statutory requirement for Board consideration,” the gaming commission said in a statement to POLITICO.

https://www.crainsnewyork.com/politi...025-state-says

New York City casino bids won't be due until 2025, state reveals






NICK GARBER
March 25, 2024

Bids to open casinos in New York City will not open up until 2025, state officials announced Monday, finally putting a firm timeline on what has been a sluggish run-up to the eagerly awaited process.