The greater New York City area will soon have three new casinos: Hard Rock Metropolitan Park at Citi Field in Queens, Resorts World New York City adjacent to Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, and Bally's Bronx at Ferry Point, Bronx. The New York Gaming Commission approved their licenses on Dec. 15, 2025
In 2025 three major casino tribes joined in the bidding for the new casino licenses allocated to downstate New York State. These tribes were the CHICKASAW NATION of Oklahoma, which owns and operates the world's largest casino, the WinStar World Casino and Resort, the MOHEGAN TRIBE of Connecticut, which owns and operates the Mohegan Sun and three other casino resorts, and the SEMINOLE TRIBE of Florida, which owns Hard Rock International.
SEMINOLE TRIBE
Application Approved - License Issued
The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which owns Hard Rock International, has partnered with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen to propose an $8 billion Hard Rock casino complex next to Citi Field in Queens. Hard Rock will brand and manage the property.
See Hard Rock Casino Metropolitan Park Proposal.
CHICKASAW NATION
Application Rejected
The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma partnered with Thor Equities, Saratoga Casino Hotel, and Legends Hospitality Group to propose a $3.4 billion casino complex next to the Coney Island amusement park. The Chickasaw Nation owns the largest casino in the world, the Winstar World Casino and Resort, located in Oklahoma on the Texas border.
See Coney Casino Proposal.
MOHEGAN TRIBE
Application Rejected
The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut partnered with Soloviev Group, a development company, to propose an $11 billion underground casino at Freedom Center between East 38th and 41st Streets on the East Side of Manhattan. The bid was rejected September 22, 2025 by the Community Advisory Commitee.
See Freedom Plaza Casino Proposal.
There are currently two state-licensed casinos operating at racetracks (racinos) in the greater NYC area. Resorts World New York City is located adjacent to Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. It operates 5,800 video lottery terminals (VLTs) and electronic table games (ETGs). The other casino is Empire City Casino located at Yonkers Raceway north of the Bronx. Empire City operates 4,600 VLT and ETG machines.
$3,000 Casino Welcome Bonus! $3,750 Crypto Welcome Bonus!
BOVADA CASINO
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park | Construction Schedule December 27, 2025 - Construction of the newly approved Hard Rock Metropolitan Park is expected to start as soon as January, according to a document in the Hard Rock application ... Read more 
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park awarded NYC casino license December 16, 2025 - The New York State Gaming Commission has granted a gaming license to the proposed $8.1 billion Hard Rock Metropolitan Park to be built on 50 acres ... Read more 
Hard Rock Casino is Coming to New York December 2, 2025 - Hard Rock Casino is officially coming to New York City. The casino license is expected by end of month and construction will start in early 2026. The opening date is ... Read more 
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park Approved for Casino License December 1, 2025 - Hard Rock Casino Metropolitan Park was approved this morning by the Gaming Facility Location Board, which is under the New York State Gaming Comm ... Read more 
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park decision is Monday Dec 1 November 28, 2025 - The Gaming Facility Location Board will vote Monday Dec. 1 on whether the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock International, in partnership with New York Mets owner ... Read more More Headlines ...Empire City Casino
810 Yonkers Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10704
(914) 968-4200
Resorts World Casino
110-00 Rockaway Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11420
888-888-8801
Three new casino licenses were issued in December 2025 for three new casinos in downstate New York. There were eight qualified casino applicants that filed casino proposals before the final deadline June 27, 2025. The application and selection process for these new casino licenses followed these steps:
Selection Process and Timeline
Application Submission - Deadline June 27, 2025
Applications required detailed plans, zoning approvals, environmental studies, and community impact plans.
Community Advisory Committees (CACs) - Vote by September 30, 2025
The CACs were formed immediately after the June 27th deadline. CAC members were appointed by local and state officials to hold public meetings and vote on casino proposals before the deadline.
New York State Gaming Review Final Decisions by December 1, 2025
The Gaming Facility Location Board reviewed and selected the winning applicants before the deadline
Casino License Issuance - Deadline December 31, 2025
The New York State Gaming Commission issued the new licenses before the end-of-year deadline. The winning applicants paid a fee of $500 million for their license.
The deadline to submit a formal application for one of the three new casino licenses ended on June 27, 2025. Eight applications were successfully submitted prior to the deadline.
The following is a list of the casino applicants that were under consideration on Sept. 1, 2025. The list is sorted by geographical areas: Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn and Westchester county.
MANHATTAN
Avenir
Location: Far West Side, NYC
Cost: $7 billion
Applicant: Silverstein, Rush Street, Greenwood Gaming
Hotel, casino, restaurants near Javits5,000 jobs, local partnerships Competing Times Square bid, Manhattan saturation
Caesars Palace Times Sq
Location: Times Square, NYC
Cost: $5.4 billion
Applicant: Caesars, SL Green, Roc Nation
Casino/hotel in 1515 Broadway, entertainment complex Cost: $250M in benefits, safety funding, equity to localsStrong Broadway opposition
Freedom Plaza
Location: Midtown East, NYC
Cost: $11.1 billion
Applicant: Mohegan Tribe, Soloviev Group
Underground casino, 1,325 residences, 500 affordable units, 5-acre public park, museum, 2% profit to community
QUEENS
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Metropolitan Park
Location: Flushing, Queens
Cost: $8 billion
Applicant: Steve Cohen, Hard Rock
Casino near Citi Field, music venue, 25-acre park Cost: $2.75B in transit & community benefits Parkland alienation concerns now mostly resolved
Resorts World NYC
Location: Aqueduct, Queens
Cost: $5.5 billion
Applicant: Genting Group
Expand racino to full casino, large hotel, concert venue3,000 homes, green space, local supportAlready licensed, but still needs full approval
BRONX
Bally's Bronx
Location: Bronx (Ferry Point)
Cost: $4 billion
Applicant: Bally's Corporation
Casino on ex-Trump golf course, 500-room hotelCost: $625M in benefits, new parklandTrump affiliation scrutiny
BROOKLYN
Coney Island Casino
Location: Brooklyn
Cost: $3 billion
Applicant: Thor Equities, Chickasaw Nation, Saratoga
Beachfront casino, hotel, ridesJob creation, tourism boost Traffic, gentrification fears
WESTCHESTER COUNTY
Empire City
Location: Yonkers
Cost: $2.3 billion
Applicant: MGM Resorts
Upgrade racino, sportsbook, entertainment districtBetMGM Sportsbook, green infrastructureCompetes just outside NYC limits
September 22, 2025
The Mohegan Tribe's casino proposal at Freedom Plaza was rejected today by the community advisory committee (CAC). The final vote was 4-2 against. The result leaves Manhattan without a casino as two competing bidders were also rejected by committee votes last week. Those proposals were for Times Square and Hudson Yards.
The New York State Gaming Commission will issue three new casino licenses in downstate New York at the end of this year. There were originally eight finalists after the June 27th application deadline. There are now only five finalists after the three rejections of the Manhattan bids.
The five active finalists for the three downstate licenses are the following:
QUEENS
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Metropolitan Park
Location: Flushing, Queens
Cost: $8 billion
Applicant: Steve Cohen, Hard Rock (Seminole Tribe)
Resorts World NYC
Location: Aqueduct, Queens
Cost: $5.5 billion
Applicant: Genting Group
BRONX
Bally's Bronx
Location: Bronx (Ferry Point)
Cost: $4 billion
Applicant: Bally's Corporation
BROOKLYN
Coney Island Casino
Location: Brooklyn
Cost: $3 billion
Applicant: Thor Equities, Chickasaw Nation, Saratoga
WESTCHESTER COUNTY
Empire City
Location: Yonkers
Cost: $2.3 billion
Applicant: MGM Resorts
Back Full Page > NYC Casinos
#1 Casino Choice of U.S. Players
Blackjack • Slots • Tables • Live Dealer • Video Poker • Crypto
$3,000 Casino Welcome Bonus!
$3,750 Crypto Welcome Bonus!
BOVADA CASINO
June 29, 2025
Three new casinos will be licensed in the New York City area by the end of this year. The deadline for submitting a qualified casino application was Friday June 27th. Eight casino applicants beat the deadline.
[ No Ads ]8 contenders vying for 3 downstate New York casino licenses - Courtesy of CBS New York, Jun 27, 2025. Available from YouTube
Favored Applicants
The applicant odds of winning one of the three licenses was calculated and published by Crains New York. Here is the favored rankings for each casino applications:
Back Full Page > NYC Casinos
Seminole Tribe is a finalist for a New York City casino license October 17, 2025 - The Seminole Tribe of Florida, through its ownership of Hard Rock International, is contending for one of three new Downstate New York casino licenses ... Read more 
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park Approved Unanimously by Committee September 30, 2025 - The $8B Hard Rock proposal at Metropolitan Park was approved unanimously today by the community advisory committee. The bid will now be forwarded ... Read more 
No Coney Casino | Chickasaw Proposal Rejected September 29, 2025 - The Coney casino proposed for Coney Island will never be. The plan by Thor Equities and the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma was officially rejected today by the Community Advisory Committee. ... Read more 
No Manhattan Casino | Mohegan Proposal Rejected September 22, 2025 - The Mohegan Tribe's casino proposal at Freedom Plaza was rejected today by the community advisory committee. The result leaves Manhattan without a casino ... Read more 
NYC Freedom Plaza Casino Odds | Mohegan Tribe September 20, 2025 - The proposed Freedom Plaza Casino is now the only surviving bid for a Manhattan cassino after Wednesday's rejections of the Avenir and Caesars Palace ... Read more 
Three Tribes Seek NYC Casino Licenses September 17, 2025 - The gaming and hospitality subsidiaries owned by the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida are seeking ... Read more 
Chickasaw Nation Applies for New York City Casino September 6, 2025 - The Chickasaw Nation has partnered with Thor Equities and Saratoga Casino to develop a plan for a $3.4 billion casino complex next to Coney Island ... Read more 
Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock Bids on NYC Casino July 26, 2025 - Hard Rock International partnered with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen last March on a proposed $8 billion casino project next to Citi Field in Queens. Hard Rock is owned by ... Read more 
Chickasaw Nation bids on Coney Island casino July 14, 2025 - The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma is seeking an ownership share and the operational role for a $3.4 billion casino proposal for Coney Island. The casino named "The Coney" ... Read more 
8 NYC casino applications meet 6/27 deadline June 29, 2025 - Three new casinos will be licensed in the New York City area by the end of this year. The deadline for submitting a qualified casino application was Friday June 27th ... Read more Coney Island casino proposal hears strong support, opposition September 2, 2025 - The first of two public hearings for a proposed $3 billion casino and resort dubbed "The Coney" was held last week at the Coney Island YMCA ... Read more
Most USA Players
CASINO • LIVE DEALER • POKER • SPORTSBOOK • RACEBOOK
$3,750 Casino Bonuses - Hundreds of slot games with jackpots that can climb into six figures. Classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, with Live Dealers too. BOVADA.
$4500 Crypto Bonuses - Get $3,750 Casino Welcome Bonus and $250 Sports Bonus! More with crypto at BOVADA.
Live Dealer $3,750 Welcome Bonus
$500 Poker Welcome Bonuses - "#1 Online Poker Room in U.S. Deep player pools, deep prize pools, hundreds of weekly tournaments at BOVADA
$750 Crypto Sports Welcome Bonus - Live betting, live odds, fun prop bets at BOVADA
Disclaimer: All images are copyright to their respective owners and are used by 500 Nations for informational purposes only.
500 Nations is an independent directory and information service free of any gaming operator's control and not affiliated with any casino.
Warning: You must ensure you meet all age and other regulatory requirements before entering a casino or placing a wager.
There are hundreds of jurisdictions in the world with Internet access and hundreds of different games and gambling opportunities available on the Internet.
Do not assume that Internet gaming sites are in compliance with the rules and regulations of every jurisdiction from which they accept players.
YOU are responsible for determining if it is legal for YOU to play any particular game or place any particular wager under the laws of the jurisdiction where you are located.