CACs Advance Queens, Yonkers Casino Expansion Bids

Community advisory committees unanimously approved expansion plans Thursday for Resorts World at Aqueduct in Queens and MGM Empire City in Yonkers, advancing both racino sites one step closer to competing for up to three downstate commercial casino licenses. Resorts World’s backers proposed a roughly $5.5 billion, Native American‑partnered project to build about a 350,000 sq ft complex with thousands of slot machines, hundreds of table games, hotels, roughly 30 eateries and a roughly 7,000‑seat entertainment venue, saying it could create about 24,000 jobs and aim to open by summer 2026. MGM’s Yonkers proposal would renovate and expand the existing facility in a $1.7 billion–$2.3 billion project to add table games, a BetMGM retail sportsbook, high‑limit areas, new restaurants, parking and an entertainment venue while preserving the Yonkers racetrack. Proponents cited jobs and tax revenue and MGM pledged measures to address neighbors’ flooding and public‑safety concerns, though some Yonkers residents questioned who would benefit. Both CAC approvals now move the applications to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, which is expected to award up to three downstate licenses by Dec. 1, but a local CAC yes does not guarantee a state license. The votes follow recent rejections of three Manhattan proposals, narrowing the downstate field and producing mixed local reactions.