New NYC Casinos Spent Millions Lobbying For Licenses
The New York City Office of the City Clerk’s Lobbying Bureau has released its annual report, shedding light on the exact amount casino licence hopefuls spent lobbying officials.
The three successful bidders, Bally’s Bronx, Resorts World NYC and Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, all featured in the list of the 10 highest lobbying spenders.
New York’s New Casino Process
In 2013, New York voters approved licenses for up to seven casinos in the state. In the following years, four licenses were granted for upstate locations. In 2022, the state began the process of awarding the final three licenses. In 2025, eight casinos officially submitted proposals to the New York State Gaming Commission for consideration.
The proposals went through a multi-stage process, with three finally getting the green light in December 2025.
The Successful Applicants
Hard Rock spent the most of the casino hopefuls and the second most in the city, having forked over $1.68million.
Hard Rock has partnered with Mets owner Steve Cohen to transform an area next to Citi Field.
The site will include a themed Taste of Queens food hall, music venue, restaurants, and bars, as well as the casino.
Hard Rock has also pledged to convert the rest of the site into a park.
Genting paid $1.14m, the fourth highest in the city.
"Although the lobbying figures are huge, they pale in comparison to the eyewatering revenue figures forecasted by the venues."
As an upgrade to the company’s existing racino, Resorts World Genting’s Aqueduct Racetrack will likely be the first of three new casinos to come online, potentially finishing development later this year.
The company has promised nearly 6,000 slots as well as a 1,600-room hotel and multiple bars and restaurants, with the wider gambling market also seeing strong growth in digital gaming such as online slots.
Bally’s had the sixth-highest overall lobbying spend of $830,000. The new Bally’s Bronx will be housed near Ferry Point Park and consist of a 500-room hotel, nightclub, spa, 2,000-seat event center and casino.
The Coney actually spent more than Genting and Bally’s, investing $1.4m in the process, but its bid ultimately proved fruitless when its application was denied by the community advisory committee.
The committee ceded to local pressure, stating that the development in Coney Island would detrimentally detract from local businesses and was not in keeping with the area.
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Although the lobbying figures are huge, they pale in comparison to the eyewatering revenue figures forecasted by the venues.
The operators have said they expect to generate between $2billion and $4bn annually, reflecting the scale of demand for gambling across the country, including licensed online casinos in the USA.
Between them, the three new developments could generate $10bn a year, with analysts predicting as much as $1bn a year in additional tax revenue.
Despite the eye-watering sums paid by the casino hopefuls, it was Maddd Equities that invested the most. The real estate developer paid $1.8m to six lobbying firms, as it aimed to progress several high-profile projects.
Airbnb paid big bucks to try to overturn a short-term rental regulation bill enacted recently, and RAI Services Company tried to overturn regulations on menthol cigarettes and vapes.
With the new casino licenses awarded, next year’s lobbying list may have a distinctly different look to it.
