09.25.2025 Yonkers and Queens Casino Bids Advance in Battle for N.Y. Licenses
Two entrants in the free-for-all battle for casino licenses in New York advanced past local committees on Thursday, becoming the first to clear a critical hurdle after every proposal in Manhattan failed to do so.
The proposals — from Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts in Yonkers, just north of New York City, and Resorts World at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens — received unanimous approval from separate panels, known as community advisory committees.
Both Resorts World and Empire City Casino, which operates alongside Yonkers Raceway, have been considered the front-runners for full casino licenses — there are up to three available in the state — because they already offer some gambling.