Bally’s New York casino dreams still alive following city council vote
The Bronx casino proposal from Bally’s Corp is still alive after the project received critical rezoning approval from the New York City Council on Wednesday afternoon. After narrowly passing through a committee earlier in the day, the full council vote came in at 32-12, with seven abstentions.
Wednesday’s actions were an example of what’s known in New York as a “home rule”, which is a unique legislative framework for the state. Essentially, it allows for municipalities like New York City to pass their own laws, meaning that the council needed to approve it before the state legislature.
With the council sign-off, the matter can now proceed to Albany. Time is of the essence, as the state’s legislative session will end this week.
Typically, a home rule vote for legislation requires a two-thirds majority, which would have come up short. But in Bally’s case, Mayor Eric Adams submitted a message in support of the bill, lowering the threshold to a simple majority.
The more, the merrier
According to City and State NY, the mayor’s office said this was done to allow for “as many competitive casino bids in New York City as possible”. Of the eight bids thought to be under consideration, three are in Manhattan, two are in Queens, one is in Brooklyn and Bally’s is in the Bronx. MGM’s Empire City racino is outside the city in Yonkers.
Three other planned bids have been withdrawn, including from casino giants Wynn and Las Vegas Sands. The application deadline to submit official bids is 27 June.
This sentiment of keeping the pool of applicants as large as possible was cited by several council members who voted yes but weren’t necessarily in support of the Bally’s project itself.
“We appreciate the City Council, including the speaker and Bronx delegation in particular, for recognising the opportunity that this project can afford to the Bronx and the City as a whole,” Christopher Jewett, Bally’s senior vice president of corporate development, said in a statement to iGB. “Their actions today allow us to move forward to the next step of making this happen for NYC.”
A win for Bally’s = a win for Trump?
Rhode Island-based Bally’s is proposing a $4 billion development at its Bally’s Links golf course in Ferry Point. Included in the proposal are a 500,000-square-foot casino, a 500-room hotel, an events centre and other amenities and community benefit pledges.
While the project was proposed well over a year ago, in recent months its connection to US President Donald Trump has come under scrutiny. It has been widely reported that when Bally’s purchased the course from the Trump Organisation in 2023, the company agreed to pay an additional $115 million if the project wins a casino licence.
Thus, when the council tabled a vote at its previous meeting in late May, Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim alleged that it was politically motivated. “They’re saying, ‘If Bally’s wins, Trump benefits.’ That’s crazy,” Kim told the New York Post.
Bally’s has “prioritised being a good neighbour and investing in our local community” since acquiring the course, Jewett said. These efforts have included a free shuttle bus programme and an $8.5 million donation to save a local all-girls Catholic school from closure.
Adams’ decision to submit a message in support of the project on Wednesday was not influenced “whatsoever” by Trump, the mayor’s office told City and State NY.
Office politics
The full council’s approval went against local Bronx Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato, who called the project a “bad proposal” in a “disgraceful process” before voting against it. Such political disagreements have not been uncommon for the saga surrounding three pending downstate casino licences.
Another example came in Queens, where Mets owner Steve Cohen also secured a home rule rezoning approval for his $8 billion Metropolitan Park proposal. In that case, local State Senator Jessica Ramos opposed the effort from the start, stalling initial progress. But eventually Cohen got around it by enlisting Senator John Liu, whose district includes a much smaller portion of the project than Ramos’. Liu instead introduced the rezoning legislation, which ultimately passed on 27 May.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano took another approach by appealing directly to the state gaming commission. He asserted that the two existing racinos – MGM Empire City and Resorts World New York – should be licensed immediately while the legislative and environmental processes for the other bids are straightened out. The slow pace of the process has been a point of criticism.
“New York should move ahead right away with the two proposals that enjoy community support and are shovel-ready to go,” Spano told the Yonkers Times 20 May. “We’ve already lost too much time. Let’s not lose any more.”
Can’t count ’em out
On paper, it would seem difficult for Bally’s to complete such a project even if a licence were to be awarded. The company is currently racing against the clock to construct its permanent Chicago casino by September 2026. That project, which costs significantly less ($1.7 billion), has seen multiple setbacks, including a recent work stoppage over unapproved contractors. A significant funding agreement was needed to finance the project.
Bally’s also intends to build a casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip, adjacent to the Las Vegas A’s future stadium. To make way for the stadium, Bally’s agreed to implode the Tropicana in exchange for the right to build a new property on the remaining acreage.
In addition to its US projects, the operator in April made its biggest international investment ever. Bally’s agreed to become the largest shareholder of Australian operator Star Entertainment in a combined AU$300 million deal alongside billionaire Bruce Mathieson. Star this month appeared in federal court in Australia for AML charges and could face an AU$400 million fine, which would imperil its future.
Despite all this, Bally’s chances in New York are still alive and could continue to improve just by staying in the race. With three bids already withdrawn, several others are on the fringes. This includes a Coney Island bid from Thor Equities, which faces a council vote Thursday, and the Manhattan bids, which are trudging through environmental reviews.
By month’s end, Bally’s could very well be one of five or six surviving candidates.