New York voters approved a referendum that allowed the development of four casinos north of the city. At present, the state budget might lead to a New York City casino. Also, the budget could provide a gambling expansion in the state.
Aside from a new casino, the budget includes the legalization of mobile sports betting. Also, lawmakers said that mobile sports wagering could bring $500 million in taxes for the state.
A new casino near or within New York City will face many regulatory challenges. According to gambling and sports news reports, Las Vegas Sands wants to operate the NYC casino. However, they are not alone in wanting to get a casino license to operate in New York.
New York City Casino
The state budget included a provision that requests information to determine which operators are interested in seeking a casino license. The Gaming Commission regulates most gambling activities in the state. It is responsible in releasing the report within half a year upon receiving the data.
According to global gambling news sources, Governor Andrew Cuomo doesn’t want to politicized the selection process. He said that the law doesn’t authorize new casinos. Also, he is against any form of casino authorization plan that involves politics.
The governor said that the Gaming Commission makes decisions based on merits. Also, he understands that there’s a lot of money involved in casinos. Lobbyists will make political contributions to get a favorable result.
Thus, he doesn’t want to be part of the decision-making process in selecting a casino operator. The governor wants the decision to be based on merits alone. Lawmakers and the governor believe that casinos will bring revenue and jobs to the state. However, many people choose to play on online casinos at present due to the pandemic.
At present, there are four commercial casinos in New York. Also, there are various tribal casinos and racinos throughout the state.
