A sports shop website reported that Steven Cohen, majority owner of the New York Mets baseball team, was in preliminary talks with Las Vegas Sands Corp. is to build a casino next to the Mets’ Citi Field.
A Las Vegas Sands spokesman did not want to comment on the report but made a statement about the company’s continued interest in the New York market.
“Sands has long been interested in development opportunities around New York City,” the statement said. “New York is surrounded by gambling states and billions of dollars flow annually from New Yorkers to the state coffers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.
“If the state were to activate the three gambling licenses available for the New York City area, it would undoubtedly attract a great deal of interest and ultimately investment from interested parties like us. The amount of well-paid middle-class jobs and the tax revenues generated by these projects would also be important for the state and the municipalities. “
On October 20, the New York State Gaming Commission issued a 14-page request for information to parties interested in applying for three undisclosed commercial casino licenses.
The RFI process includes deadlines for submitting questions about the process due on November 10th and the question answer date on December 10th.
The commission is obliged to prepare a report with the results of the RFI and to distribute it to the governor and the state legislature no later than six months after receiving the information.
The Queens area where Citi Field is located is listed in the information request as a qualifying location for a casino.
The New York Post reported earlier this month that casino operators are locating locations near Citi Field, near Belmont Park on Long Island (home of the New York Islanders racetrack and new arena), and the St. George neighborhood on Staten Island had explored. Companies named Bally’s Corp., Wynn Resorts Ltd., Las Vegas Sands and the Malaysia-based Genting Group were named.
Bally’s is also one of the companies that submitted two bids to build a resort in Chicago.
New York has a number of racinos and tribal casinos as well as the four commercial casinos in the hinterland. They are Del Lago Resort and Casino in Tire; Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady; Tioga Downs in Tioga; and Resorts World Catskills in Kiamesha Lake, all at least 90 miles from New York City.
“The Downstate casino opportunity has been around for nearly 20 years and is in demand by all of the major gaming companies such as Caesars, MGM Resorts, Resorts World, Sands, Wynn and more,” said Brendan Bussmann, director of government affairs for Global Market Advisors based in Las Vegas.
“The RFI, which is due later this year, will begin these policy discussions on how best to structure the opportunities for these three licenses. Let’s hope, when the tender is issued, that the state doesn’t blackmail companies like (Governor Mario) Cuomo did with mobile sports betting. “
Bussmann said Sands plans aren’t yet to be seen, if at all, but it’s clear the company is interested in the opportunity.
“This competes with the opportunity in Japan and elsewhere, not only because of the local market but also the tourism market to New York City,” he said.
The review journal is owned by the family of Dr. Miriam Adelson, the majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.
