Yonkers Mayor urges New York to award casino licenses to MGM and Resorts World

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano called on New York State to immediately grant full casino licenses to MGM Empire City in Yonkers and Resorts World at Aqueduct, citing community support, economic urgency, and the withdrawal of two competing proposals in the downstate casino bidding process.

Spano’s appeal comes after Related Companies and Wynn announced they were dropping their bid to build a casino at Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side. Sands had previously withdrawn its proposal near Nassau Coliseum. With both projects off the table, Spano urged state officials to move forward with racinos that are already operational and “shovel-ready.”

“We have two racinos whose owners are ready to pay the State a billion dollars in application fees today, and to start generating hundreds of millions of dollars in new taxes tomorrow,” Spano said. “We all know that the cutbacks from Washington are going to cause holes in the State and local budgets by the end of the year, so let’s be proactive.”

Under the current state timeline, the three downstate licenses are not expected to be awarded until December. Spano criticized the delay, warning that it risks deferring substantial new revenue and job creation.

“New York should move ahead right away with the two proposals that enjoy community support and are shovel-ready to go,” Spano said. “We’ve already lost too much time. Let’s not lose any more.”

The economic benefits of converting MGM Empire City into a full-scale casino include an estimated $34 million annually to the City of Yonkers, and more than 2,000 new direct hires, tripling the casino’s existing workforce. Over the next decade, Yonkers is projected to receive $340 million in gaming tax revenues, with an additional $170 million earmarked for Westchester County.  

“This is an unmatched opportunity for Yonkers and our region, let’s not lose momentum – because we all can win!” Spano added.