Posted on: November 26, 2024, 09:02h.
Last updated on: November 26, 2024, 09:30h.
Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) vetoed legislation that would have expedited determining which three casino resort bids for the downstate region would win the coveted gaming concessions.
In what was far from a surprise, as Hochul has maintained that she doesn’t want to be — nor is — directly involved in determining which casino companies are awarded the licenses that come with slot machine, table game, and sports betting privileges, the governor said amending the bidding timeline would be unjust to some involved.
Changing the timeline would likely have the impact of helping certain bidders and hurting others. I cannot support a bill that aims to change the rules in the middle of the process,” Hochul said in her veto message.
The legislation in question — Senate Bill 9673A — would have altered the New York Gaming Facility Location Board’s review timeline to force interested developers to submit their applications by the end of business on Aug. 31, 2024. Of course, that date has come and gone, but the bill Hochul vetoed included a clause that would have forced the Location Board to expedite its review from its current timeline.
Governor Under Pressure
The New York State Legislature passed the measure to speed up the casino review in June, but Democratic leaders held off on transferring the bill to Hochul’s office on the strong belief that she would veto the statute.
As the governor faces stern backlash for her flip-flop on the hugely controversial “congestion pricing” scheme — initially ordering a “pause” on the $15 toll to enter Midtown Manhattan, then days later resurrecting it at $9 and telling the public she’s saving them six bucks — the sponsors of S9673A sought to force the governor to act on another highly publicized matter facing downstate New York.
Along with the congestion pricing scandal, Hochul has come under fire for seemingly backing billionaire Steve Cohen’s bid for a casino at his Citi Field baseball stadium in Queens, home of MLB’s Mets. Cohen and Hard Rock International are developing an $8 billion bid at Willets Point.
In October, reports surfaced that Hochul’s 2025 budget would include changes to the state’s Uniform Land-Use Reform Process that could make it easier for Cohen to build an integrated resort on property partially designated as parkland. Hochul said the rumors aren’t true.
S9673A’s chief sponsor, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens), sought to force the governor into further committing to not favoring Cohen’s casino by sending the casino acceleration bill to her desk on November 15. Cohen’s team continues to lobby to have its Willets Point acreage rezoned for commercial development. Expediting the casino review would have presumably negatively impacted Cohen’s bid.
“If you can’t figure out the land-use issues in two years maybe a casino shouldn’t be there,” Addabbo said, as reported by the New York Post.
Cohen is a major Hochul donor. During her 2022 gubernatorial run, Cohen and his wife Alexandra gave $136,700 to Hochul’s campaign.
Toll Bridge
Hochul reimplemented the $9 toll price after Democratic state lawmakers retained control of both chambers of the Legislature earlier this month. The $6 price cut, however, will further strain the state’s ability to fund critical infrastructure upgrades to New York City’s Subway.
Addabbo believes expediting the casino licenses is a no-brainer that would provide an immediate cash influx of $1.5 billion to the state. Each of the three downstate gaming permits requires a one-time payment of $500 million to the state.
With Hochul vetoing S9673A, the New York Gaming Facility Location Board’s timeline maintains that bids are due by June 27, 2025. Winners aren’t expected to be rendered until the fall or winter of 2025.
