A joint bid that includes Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts that’s seeking to build a $12 billion casino resort in New York City (renderings pictured) may now be on the ropes. This week, a local community board overseeing the planned site voted to officially oppose the proposal.
Wynn Resorts is partnered with New York-based developer Related Companies on the potential multibillion-dollar Hudson Yards project. There are three upcoming licenses to be issued for a full-scale downstate New York casino, and Wynn’s plan is just one of a dozen in the running.
The partners had been looking to build in the mixed-use Hudson Yards neighborhood of Manhattan. However, the local Community Board 4 this week voted unanimously to officially oppose the project.
The proposal was described as a “garish Las Vegas-style monstrosity” by one former member of Community Board 4 who spoke at the meeting.
The Proposal
Wynn and Related Companies have proposed an 80-story tower development, built above a disused Long Island Railway Depot. It would also transform 5.6 acres of nearby industrial riverside area into a park and garden.
The casino would occupy around 3% of the total development area, covering two floors of the lower section of the tower. Retail and hospitality would take the ground floor. Above the casino would be event space, and then hotel rooms.
Related also said it would build 1,500 housing units as part of the development. That would include “hundreds of new affordable departments,” it said in a press release.
The Opposition
The main arguments against Wynn’s $12 billion potential casino were around its location near the unique High Line public park.
Although the usual and oft-cited anti-casino arguments around crime and the character of the area were also spoken about by some, the potential spoiling of the view from the High Line park was a big talking point.
Local residents were also annoyed at Related Companies. The developer is handling the public parts of the development, of which there are many, since casino developers want to be on the good side of the public and city planners.
However, locals said it has consistently scaled back on its previous commitments to public housing as part of the development.
The rejection by the board, after a fiery three-hour evening meeting on November 8, is not necessarily a death blow to Wynn and Related’s hopes. But it certainly can’t help, and it will have an influence on some politicians’ views on the matter.
On the other hand, not one of the New York downstate casino proposals has escaped any local criticism or controversy. And some, like Las Vegas Sands’ proposed Long Island casino resort, have fared far worse in the public eye than Wynn’s.
“We are focused on moving forward with local elected officials, who have been committed to pursuing realistic plans that deliver the jobs, housing, and community improvements New York needs today,” said Related Companies spokesperson Natalie Ravitz, speaking to The Gothamist.
The Competition
Wynn’s $12 billion Manhattan casino may be one of the more expensive of the dozen competing casino plans, but it still faces tough competition.
The projected market for three full-scale downstate New York casinos could be huge. Some experts have predicted it could rival Las Vegas’ billion-dollar monthly gambling revenues when at full potential. The state is already the biggest sports betting market, and NYC is home to some of the wealthiest people in the world.
Competitors to the Wynn and Related Companies plan include two fellow Nevada-based operators. Caesars Entertainment is partnering with New York native and rapper Jay-Z’s Roc Nation on a proposal for a casino tower near Times Square, and Las Vegas Sands has purchased a large stadium site in Nassau County, Long Island.
The race is made tighter by the expectation that two operators, both with Las Vegas Strip properties, will be given two licenses on the basis of their existing but limited New York City gambling venues.
Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International already operates the limited casino-style gaming venue Empire City Casino in Yonkers. The other is Resorts World, the owner of Resorts World Las Vegas.
However, some have speculated that the recent and ongoing money laundering scandal with its flagship U.S. casino in Las Vegas could hurt Empire City owner Genting Malaysia’s chances of obtaining an upgraded license for its New York property.
Other competing casino operators participating in the race include Bally’s, Hard Rock, and Mohegan. The New York State Gaming Commission plans to issue the licenses by the end of 2025.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
