Bally’s $4 billion Bronx casino bid halted by city council vote

Bally’s effort to secure a New York casino license encountered a major obstacle after the New York City Council voted to reject land-use changes required for its proposed Bronx project. The decision seemingly removes Bally’s from contention for one of the remaining downstate casino licenses.

On Monday, the Council voted 29-9, with four abstentions, in favor of a motion to disapprove the land-use changes needed to develop the $4 billion project at the former Trump Links golf course in Throggs Neck, reports Crain's New York Business. The motion was introduced by Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato, who represents the district where the project was planned.

“This is not real economic development. This is not housing, a hospital, or community improvements,” Marmorato said during the session. “It’s a casino.”

In a statement from her office, Marmorato cited “last-minute offers” from Bally’s but deemed them inadequate. She also criticized the developers’ timing and approach, stating that they “came to the table a little too late, with promises too vague and a process too flawed to rebuild the trust that was already lost in our community.”

Land-use approval a prerequisite

The vote removes a key local prerequisite for Bally’s 3-million-square-foot proposal, which included a 500-room hotel and a 500,000-square-foot gaming area. The company required the Council’s approval to develop the site, which is classified as city parkland.

Bally’s CEO Soo Kim called the decision “incredibly disappointing” and said the company had responded to the council member’s requests. “We had met the council members’ request in terms of what exceptional community benefits they wanted. That ask was moving the goalposts from the prior ask, which we had met as well,” Kim said. “It’s sort of nutty. What more can we do than meet the ask?”

Kim acknowledged that the land-use approval was a “prerequisite” for the project, and a source close to the bid told Crain's that the project is now highly unlikely to proceed.

Internal division and political dynamics

While Marmorato opposed the development, other members of the Bronx delegation voted against her motion or abstained. Councilman Rafael Salamanca, who chairs the land-use committee, urged support for the project, stating: “As a Bronx kid who is raising his family in the borough, I am deeply concerned that today we will fail to allow the Bronx to tap into the potential economic development opportunities.”

Despite support from the Bronx County Democratic Party and a previous intervention from Mayor Eric Adams that had kept the project alive by securing a “home-rule message,” Bally’s was unable to sway enough council members. Seven lobbying firms were engaged by the company in an effort to build support, but they failed to overcome opposition, including from progressives skeptical of casino development.

Had the proposal moved forward and secured a license, Bally’s would have paid the Trump Organization an estimated $115 million annually under the terms of its lease. The Rhode Island-based company has not yet announced its next steps.

Following the vote, the number of casino license contenders in the state-led process is now reduced to seven.