Fourth Casino License to be Awarded in New York

The Gaming Facility Board in New York voted to reopen the bidding process for a new casino in the state's Southern Tier region. On the same day the decision was reached, the board released an 800-page report that explained how and why the three previous winning bidders were chosen while the other 13 were rejected.

Casino selection, handled by Andrew Cuomo’s administration, was recently under the spotlight because critics questioned whether the process was done fair and legally. Following the selection process, Cuomo requested the board to reopen the bidding process and consider a casino in the Southern Tier, an area in need of an economic boost.

The report offered numerous details explaining why the Montreign Casino in Thompson, Sullivan County, the Rivers Casino in Schenectady, and the Lago Casino in Tyre were the winners. The evaluators believe that those three gaming facility proposals have the best chance to maximize the potential for long-term economic growth.

The board rejected six projects in Orange County citing environmental concerns. The Mohegan Sun, who proposed a casino in Sullivan County, was rejected due to numerous issues and especially because of the uncertainty whether the company would try to attract players from New York to its Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut.

Genting also proposed a casino in Sullivan County but was rejected because it already owns a large racing venue in Queens. The most promising bid in the Southern Tier was Tioga Downs, with a total proposed capital investment of $128m, but the board agreed at the time not to award the fourth license.

It is expected that the state’s Gaming Commission will approve of the new bidding in the next few weeks. Board chairman Kevin Law said that whoever is interested in the bidding selection process can find the information on their website.

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