Downstate New York casino licensing to be examined at Saratoga Gaming Conference

The forthcoming licensure of up to three full-service casinos in Downstate New York will be a principal topic at the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga, scheduled for August 11–14 at the Saratoga Hilton.

Brian O’Dwyer, chairman of the New York State Gaming Commission, is set to deliver remarks on Tuesday, August 12, regarding the casino licensing process in the Downstate region. His comments are expected to address the regulatory and procedural aspects of what is expected to become one of the most competitive markets in the global gaming sector.

Following O’Dwyer’s address, a panel of industry and policy professionals will examine the ongoing selection process during a session titled New York Panel – Morning Line on Downstate Licenses. The panel session is scheduled for Tuesday, August 12, at 8:45 a.m., and will be moderated by Patrick Brown, organizer of the Racing and Gaming Conference and co-founder and partner emeritus at Brown & Weinraub, PLLC.

According to the session description: “After a long, strange trip, New York is finally poised to award up to three licenses for full-service destination casinos in the critical Downstate region. Will this race result in a trifecta, an exacta, or produce a photo-finish victory for favorites or longshots? Our panel of policy and business professionals will handicap what is clearly one of the most critical licensing competitions in the history of legal gaming.”

Panel participants include:

• Josh Maio, Managing Director, Real Estate, Gaming & Leisure, Citizens Bank, N.A.
• Jay Masurekar, Head of Gaming & Travel Investment Banking, KeyBanc Capital Markets
• Gary Pretlow, Chairman, Ways and Means Committee, New York State Assembly

The 2025 edition of the Saratoga conference will include 12 panel discussions on regulatory, financial, and operational developments across the gambling industry. In addition to formal sessions, the event will include a welcome reception at the Adelphi Hotel, a networking happy hour, and an outing to the Saratoga Race Course.

Key details of the event:

• Media inquiries: Contact Sherry Amos, [email protected], 609-703-1947
• Sponsorship opportunities: Contact Josh Faber
• Conference and registration inquiries: Contact Jenna Wheeler
• Information on Saratoga Springs: Discover Saratoga

For more details, visit the event's website.