Granting a full-scale gaming license for Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts in Yonkers has long been a top priority for the Business Council of Westchester. As co-chair of the “A Sure Bet for New York’s Future Alliance,” the BCW coordinated a major press conference Wednesday at the casino to demonstrate strong community support for New York State to grant a gaming license for Empire City Casino. The news conference, which was emceed by John Ravitz, Alliance co-chair and Executive Vice President and COO of the BCW, featured an impressive line-up of elected officials, labor leaders and business partners who […]

Congratulations to Nikki A. Hahn, MPA who has been named the next CEO of the Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC), an award-winning organization serving Westchester and the Hudson Valley, helping women achieve economic self-sufficiency and financial stability through business ownership and entrepreneurship. For the past three years, Hahn has served as WEDC’s Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives. She will take the reins as CEO on January 1, 2022, replacing Anne M. Janiak, who will continue on with WEDC as a special advisor on an as-needed basis, and remain as executive director of the Westchester Municipal Officials Association. “We are […]

Mobile sports betting is coming to Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts! This week the state Gaming Commission said it will grant mobile sports betting licenses to Bet MGM along with Bally Bet, DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, PointsBet, Resorts World, Rush Street Interactive, Wynn Interactive and FanDuel Sportsbook. The commission had a virtual meeting Monday afternoon before confirming the licenses were granted. The gross betting revenue will be taxed at 51 percent, according to LegalSportsReport.com, which first reported the news. FanDuel Sportsbook is the primary applicant for Bally Bet, BetMGM and DraftKings, while Kambi Group submitted applications for the others. “With […]

More good news from BCW member Regeneron Pharmaceuticals which this week released a new analysis of data showing that its monoclonal antibody cocktail known as REGEN-COV is effective against Covid-19 infection. Positive results from a Phase 3 trial jointly run with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases showed that the drug reduces by 81.6% the risk of being infected by the Covid-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2. The data are from an ongoing clinical trial in which a group of participants received a 1,200-milligram dose of the drug in four injections administered under the skin. The clinical trial involved 1,683 people who were […]

The release earlier this week of Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s Proposed Operating Budget for 2022 features a $2.2 billion spending plan that includes a $64 million surplus to address unforeseen events. “The Business Council of Westchester appreciates the County Executive’s commitment to fiscal restraint as the nation and our county continue to recover from the pandemic downturn. We particularly applaud the County Executive for cutting the county property tax levy by $7 million in his 2022 proposed operating budget. This is the third year in a row that Latimer has cut the tax levy, an essential measure in helping […]