Bally’s Bronx casino project back in contention after mayoral veto

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed the City Council’s rejection of Bally’s Bronx casino proposal, arguing that denying the project while greenlighting others in Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn signals unfair treatment of the Bronx in the high-stakes race for downstate gaming licenses.

The veto, issued Wednesday, nullifies the Council’s earlier decision to block a zoning change necessary for Bally’s to proceed with its casino plans at Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point in Throggs Neck.

The Council had rejected the land use application two weeks prior, following opposition led by local Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato under a practice known as member deference, where councilmembers defer to the local representative on land use matters.

The project is one of eight competing for three downstate licenses, expected to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission by the end of 2025.

If successful, Bally’s proposal would bring a casino to the Bronx, which backers say represents a $4 billion private investment and the potential to generate thousands of jobs.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams

In a statement, Adams said: “The City Council’s decision to treat the Bronx differently than other boroughs goes against the publicly stated, in-favor positions of the Bronx borough president and other councilmembers representing working-class neighborhoods across the Bronx.

"By rejecting the land use application for this casino bid while approving three others in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, the City Council is putting its finger on the scale — and this is precisely the type of action that leads New Yorkers to lose faith in their elected leader.”

Blocking the application would have removed the Bronx project from consideration by the state Gaming Facility Location Board. The veto keeps the proposal eligible for the next steps in the selection process.

The City Council criticized the veto, pointing out that it is the mayor’s first and only land use veto to date, and that it was issued for a casino project rather than for housing initiatives.

“Despite the self-serving claims about housing and land use by Mayor Adams and his second Charter Revision Commission in less than two years, Mayor Adams has issued the first and only land use veto during his tenure for a casino applicant, not housing,” Council spokesperson Mara Davis said in a statement to NY1.

“This administration’s hypocrisy and unethical conduct are well-documented and have been witnessed by all New Yorkers, so the mayor’s words have no credibility. The Council will consider its next steps on this land use application,” she added.

The mayor’s office has seemingly not responded to local media questions about the involvement of his campaign lawyer, Vito Pitta, who is a registered lobbyist for the project, or about Frank Carone, Adams’ former campaign chairman, who has worked for Bally’s chairman.

The next step for the proposal is a vote by a local siting committee composed of representatives from the mayor, governor, and local elected officials. If approved, the project will be submitted to the state Gaming Facility Location Board for licensing consideration.