Will Empire City Casino Finally Get Its Expanded Gaming License?
Westchester Magazine, Duke Ratliff, March 5th, 2021
An alliance of business leaders pushes to rejuvenate the economic powerhouse with expanded offerings like retail, sports betting, and gaming tables.
An alliance of nearly 30 businesses and organizations from Westchester and the Bronx, calling itself “A Sure Bet for New York’s Future,” has launched to call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to support a full gaming license and access to mobile sports betting for Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts in Yonkers.
The alliance touted the potential economic benefits of the move for the greater Westchester region and the Bronx at a virtual press conference on March 4.
Made up of organizations including co-chairs the Business Council of Westchester, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, and Westchester Putnam Central Labor Body, the alliance contends that a full-scale casino with live table games along with retail and mobile sports betting will create thousands of new jobs and generate millions in additional wages and tax revenue.
“A full-scale casino license for Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts in Yonkers is a no brainer,” says John Ravitz, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Business Council of Westchester. “The brick-and-mortar is already in place. A full-scale casino license will enhance the existing facility and is a clear path to providing significantly more revenue for the state, offering union jobs, and supporting the entire region. And if New York is going to legalize mobile sports betting, MGM Resorts must be able to compete for a license. BetMGM is one of the top mobile sports betting platforms in the country, and New York needs and deserves the best operators.”
The Alliance co-chairs sent a letter to Governor Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, requesting that a defined process be put in place to allow Empire City Casino to pursue a full-scale commercial casino license so that the state can immediately benefit from this private economic development project.
“Communities in the Bronx and Westchester County are hurting from the pandemic and the economic fallout, which has led to significant unemployment, a decline in economic development and dangerous cuts to services. There is a clear and obvious solution that would create jobs, boost investment, and provide much needed tax revenue to the state: provide Empire City Casinos by MGM Resorts with a full gaming license and a path to participate in online sports betting,” read the opening statements of the letter to Governor Cuomo.
Similar News Items
The Business Council of Westchester’s (BCW) President and CEO Marsha Gordon attended the groundbreaking of Opal 115, a transformative transit-oriented development in Mount Vernon that underscores the urgent need for affordable housing in our region. Gordon hailed the project as a critical step in addressing Westchester County’s housing challenges while fostering economic growth. “Transit-oriented developments […]
Iona University students recently delivered recommendations for the activation of Port Chester’s waterfront after a six-week study organized by the Westchester Innovation Network’s City Labs initiative. Students from Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation recommended public space enhancements; commercial and recreational features; interactive technology; new lighting; greenery; and cultural features like public art or […]
In the final BCW Valley Bank Leadership Conversations series of the year, Deputy Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins was the featured speaker this week at a standing-room-only crowd of business, government, and non-profit leaders. BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon led a stimulating one-hour conversation at Kanopi restaurant in downtown White Plains. “The BCW has […]
Become A Member
Join the county’s largest and most influential business organization today.
JOIN NOW!
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.