New York Lawmakers Oppose Hudson Yards Casino Plan
Two influential New York state lawmakers, including one on the panel that will recommend the three projects to get downstate casino licenses, have come out in opposition to the casino plan of developer Related Companies and Wynn Resorts for Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side.
Assemblyman Tony Simone, who will serve on the six-member panel that will vote on whether to recommend the proposed casino to the state Facility Location Board, posted on X that he is “philosophically opposed” to any casino in the neighborhood he represents.
Assemblymember Deborah Glick, who represents the area on the southern portion of the High Line and chairs the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee, raised similar objections in a statement published by the New York Post. She said she opposes any “plans that block views from this distinctive vantage point or allow for building closer to the High Line.”
The proposed Wynn New York City would comprise a $12 billion complex consisting of multiple skyscrapers that would include 1,500 apartments, 2 million square feet of office space, a 750-seat public school and day care center, and a hotel and casino operated by Wynn.
Nassau County Approves Sands NY Lease
The Nassau County Legislature Rules Committee voted to approve a 42-year lease of the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island to Las Vegas Sands (LVS), a final step before the full county legislature can vote on the matter on August 5.
In 2022, Nassau County leased the Coliseum land to LVS for 99 years. However, after Hofstra University challenged the lease in court, a judge held it was invalid because there was no environmental impact study before the lease was granted. The Rules Committee approved the lease at a packed July 22 meeting, during which residents and local neighbors including Hofstra opposed the casino idea.
The proposed Sands New York would be a $4 billion integrated casino resort on 72 acres at the location. In addition to the casino, the project would include outdoor community spaces, four- and five-star hotel rooms and a world-class live performance venue honoring the long legacy of live music at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
PA Supreme Court Greenlights Nittany Mall Casino
The long-stalled proposal of Ira Lubert’s SG Gaming LLC for a Category 4 mini-casino at the Nittany Mall near Pennsylvania State University was given a new lease on life July 17, when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the license brought by rival bidder Stadium Casino, a subsidiary of Baltimore’s Cordish Companies.
Lubert, a former Penn State trustee, won the license in 2020. Stadium has claimed in the past that Lubert violated rules by forming new partnerships after the winning bid that raised questions about his ownership. The company’s last filing claimed that the board does not have statutory authority to consider the license application because it restricted information on the bidding, meaning the issue was to be decided in court.
The Supreme Court decided unanimously for the gaming board, which means the project can now go forward. SG Gaming plans a casino in a 94,000-square-foot building that formerly housed a Macy’s anchor store at the Nittany Mall in College Township. In addition to the ongoing court entanglement, the project has survived significant local opposition, as many complained the casino will be too close to the Penn State campus.
Cordish: Temporary Petersburg Casino to Open Quickly if Approved
The Cordish Companies released a statement July 24 outlining the plan for a temporary casino in Petersburg, Va. if voters approve the referendum in November. The facility would be built in the southern end of the city and would feature 1,000 slots, 23 tables, a 15-table poker room and a restaurant. The permanent casino would house 1,600 slots, 46 tables, a 200-room hotel, a sportsbook, theater and more dining options.
In recent weeks, both the Virginia Lottery Board and the Petersburg Circuit Court approved the referendum. It is the last Virginia city to be allotted a casino after Richmond voters twice rejected a referendum there. Cordish is partnering with Bruce Smith Enterprise to develop the casino.
Casino Group Rallies to End Smoking
An anti-smoking group formed by casino dealers joined with the United Auto Workers, the union that represents them, in a rally to end the casino exemption to Pennsylvania’s indoor smoking ban.
The rally was held last week outside of the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, where the annual Summer Meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States was being held.
Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), a group formed by Atlantic City casino dealers, was joined at the rally by representatives of CEASE PA, a similar group formed by Pennsylvani casino dealers at the rally, which also was attended by Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Frankel, one of the sponsors of legislation to end the casino smoking ban exemption.
Durango Expansions Coming Later This Year
On July 23, Red Rock Resorts announced on its Q2 earnings call that it will expand its gaming floor and parking areas later this year. Officials said it would add 2,500 square feet to the casino floor and 230 more slots. 120 of those will go into a new high-limit room. No timelines or costs were given. The resort opened on Dec. 5 last year.
“We are pleased to have announced the Durango expansion on our call earlier today,” the company said in a statement. “In the just over six months since it opened, Durango has,thanks to our team members, been positively received by our guests and has been profitable from day one. In addition to creating both construction and permanent jobs by adding more casino space, the expansion will provide even more convenient parking for our guests and will position the property well for future expansion phases.”
Bellagio Moving Ahead with Expansion Plans
On July 30, the Paradise town advisory board will consider a planned 400,000-square-foot addition to the Bellagio, and the next step would be the Clark County Zoning Commission on August 21. The addition, known as Project Mojave, would feature additional retail and entertainment offerings. Plans were submitted in late June by owners MGM Resorts, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In addition to Project Mojave, MGM has also submitted plans for a new LED sign and a bridge connecting Bellagio to the Cosmopolitan.
Beau Rivage Wins Lawsuit from Former VIP
The Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss. has won a civil lawsuit filed by Brent Nettles, a former VIP at the casino who was seeking $2.5 million in damages over a 2022 incident in which he was forcibly removed from the property. Nettles said he sustained injuries to left hand after being handcuffed, and the casino argued that he was intoxicated and had refused to leave when asked.
“Both we and our client are very pleased with the verdict,” Beau Rivage attorney Michael Kelly told the Biloxi Sun Herald.
