Fight for NY Casino License Heats Up as Developers Drop Coney Island Boardwalk First Look

The casino wars are heating up in New York City.

Three prized gaming licenses are up for grabs and there are already nearly a dozen bids with big name support. The latest proposal comes from Coney Island, which joins the long list of other bids in Long Island, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.

New renderings were shared Friday of a boardwalk casino as Coney Island tries to beat the odds and win one of the few coveted licenses. Behind the bid is Guiness Book record holder and former city council member Robert Cornegy.

"I'm involved because I have been screaming and crying for economic development, especially in underserved communities," Cornegy said.

The former Bed-Stuy council member faces the tall order of edging out giant competition for the city's first casino license.

The decision will come down to the state-controlled Gaming Commission. When it became an issue in the race for governor in the fall, Gov. Kathy Hochul stayed focused on the economics of a casino.

"We have an opportunity to create thousands of jobs for people in hospitality for people who haven’t come back because of the pandemic," she said.

About three weeks from now, the commission will consolidate all the bids and open a second round of questions for the applications. Clarity on where a community would go could come around late spring or early summer.