GOV NOT ON BOARD: Cuomo Has Told Reporters Earlier This Year That He Is Aware That MGM is Seeking Full-Scale Casino License for Yonkers’ Empire City Casino, But Has No Opinion Or Intention To Make Any Changes For Now

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Gov Andrew Coumo Is Playing Coy As Gambling giants lobby for the authorization of Las Vegas-style casino gambling in Yonkers and Queens.

The new owner of Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York is now looking to start unlocking value and believes that one of the ways to do this is by being given the nod to operate full-scale Las Vegas-style casino gambling, but Governor Andrew Cuomo just is not as excited as they are about giving them early approval.

MGM Resorts International bought the harness racing track and casino in January for $850 million. The company has already indicated that it nurtures hopes to be allowed to expand the property into a full-blown Las Vegas-style resort with slot machines and table games.

At present, Empire City Casino features 5,200 video-lottery terminals and a number of electronic table games and avoids paying its full share of taxes to Yonkers Public Schools, because of a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) deal.

With the help of Yonkers’ Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart- Cousins MGM will be seeking a full gaming license before the moratorium on casino expansion in New York is lifted in 2023.

The company also hopes to enter the state’s sports betting market, should Yonkers’ Assembly Gaming Chairman Gary Pretlow bring forth laws to allow the practice.

In a meeting with state legislators, Empire City Casino’s newly appointed CEO, Uri Clinton, told Ganett’s Albany Bureau that they are educating people and talking through the countless opportunities the authorization of a new Yonkers casino in the state would create.

Gambling expansion matters have traditionally been facing numerous hurdles in the state Legislature, and it will not be any different for the idea for expanded casinos.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials are approaching the topic cautiously as Yonkers legislators Senator Shelley Mayer and Assemblyman Nader Sayegh appear to be throwing all caution to the wind.

Under New York’ law, no new casinos should be authorized until 2023, when a seven-year moratorium is set to expire. The moratorium was placed to help four recently launched Upstate commercial casinos gain foothold.