There will be three of them. The decision taken at the end of last year by the New York State authorities concerns the award of three casino licences for the most international of American metropolises and the country's number one destination with its 9.8 million tourists.
New York is preparing to enter a new phase in the development of its leisure and entertainment offer. The casinos will represent an enormous injection into the city's economy, representing more than 17 billion dollars in cumulative investment. The developments will also favour districts outside Manhattan, helping to relieve congestion at the heart of the city's tourist industry. And giving other parts of New York a chance to assert themselves - at least in terms of tourism.
Bally's Bronx, Hard Rock at Metropolitan Park and the major extension of Resorts World New York City - the latter two in Queens - will be developed using a combination of gaming, hotels, restaurants, shows and public spaces.
The Bally's project is expected to represent some $4 billion of investment close to Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, with a 50,000 square metre amusement arcade, hotel, meeting spaces, restaurants, entertainment venues and access to the waterfront.
In Queens, Hard Rock International, backed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, has an estimated $8 billion project next to Citi Field and Shea Stadium. It will bring together under one roof a casino, hotel, concert hall and shops. All surrounded by vast green spaces and excellent public transport links, with LaGuardia airport nearby.
Also in Queens, Resorts World New York City will invest $5.5 billion to transform its establishment. Currently limited to slot machines, the complex, located at the Aqueduct racecourse, will also become a full casino resort offering hundreds of gaming tables, an enhanced hotel offering, restaurants, shows and conference facilities.
Resorts World should be the first to open, with the first phase expected in March 2026. The projects for Bally's in the Bronx and Hard Rock in Metropolitan Park should be finalised around 2030, given their scale and complexity.
No upheaval in New York's image among international visitors
Will this offer establish New York as a new gaming destination in its own right? It is unlikely. The location of the casinos, outside Manhattan, will certainly help to highlight new areas of New York to international visitors. But at the same time, it is unlikely to revolutionise international tourism in New York, where visitors come mainly for the urban experience of a cosmopolitan city. The same is true of business travellers, who come mainly to Manhattan, the heart of finance and home to the major headquarters of American companies.
On the other hand, the new casinos will add value to the MICE business.
Authorities and industry analysts estimate that the majority of visitors will be local and regional, coming from within a two- to three-hour radius. With more than 60 million visitors a year (including tourists), attracted by its culture, gastronomy, entertainment, shopping and iconic sites, the city hardly has anything else to offer.
