New York Casino Sector Grows 6% Amid High-Stakes Licensing Battles
New York’s commercial casinos saw a 6% year-over-year rise in gross gaming revenue (GGR) this July, generating more than $60.6 million compared to $57.2 million in the same month last year.
According to figures published by the New York Gaming Commission, slot machines were the primary contributor, producing $45.1 million in GGR. Table games brought in $14.3 million, while poker contributed $0.9 million.
Of the state’s four commercial casinos, each recorded revenue increases. Rivers Casino and Resort reported the highest revenue last month, generating $19.5 million, a 12.5% increase year-on-year compared to the previous year’s figure of $17.3 million.
Del Lago Resort and Casino reported a 6.8% revenue increase year-on-year, Tioga Downs Casino reported a 2.7% rise, and Resorts World Catskills reported a 0.7% yearly increase.
The increase comes as the state moves toward awarding up to three new full-scale casino licenses for New York City and surrounding areas, a process that has sparked intense competition among developers.
Adams revives Bally’s Bronx bid
The high-profile licensing dispute took a new turn when New York City Mayor Eric Adams revived Bally’s controversial $4 billion proposal for a Bronx casino.
Adams vetoed the City Council’s rejection of a key zoning change. They insisted the move was about ensuring a fair process rather than favoring Bally’s or former President Donald Trump, whose family business will receive $115 million if approved.
The proposed site, a former Trump golf course near the Whitestone Bridge, has been a political flashpoint. Local Council member Kristy Marmorato has criticised the proposal, while other Bronx officials have expressed support.
Bally’s plan includes a casino, a 500-room hotel, restaurants, and meeting spaces. It competes against bids for Times Square, Coney Island, Queens, and Manhattan’s West Side and East Side.
Critics have pointed to Adams’ prior efforts to support Bally’s and connections between the company and figures close to the mayor, but Adams has denied any favoritism. The Council has ten days to override the veto with a two-thirds vote.
DraftKings out on Nassau casino project
Meanwhile, talks between online sportsbook DraftKings and casino operator Las Vegas Sands to take over another proposed casino at the Nassau Coliseum site collapsed in May. Reports indicate that the discussions ended without an agreement, leaving the future of the $241 million lease and the planned casino resort unclear.
Sands withdrew from the project in April, citing economic challenges and the growing threat of online gambling, but had been seeking a third party to carry the bid forward. With the June 27 application deadline already passed, the prospects for finding a replacement bidder appear slim.
The collapse of the DraftKings talks marks another shift in New York’s casino race, following Wynn Resorts’ decision to drop its Hudson Yards proposal and ongoing legislative hurdles for Bally’s Bronx bid.
While the competitive field is narrowing, major developers are still pursuing sites at Aqueduct Racetrack, CitiField, Yonkers Raceway, Times Square, and Manhattan’s East Side. Each license carries a minimum $500 million operating fee.
