From: gaming.sm.nycasinos
Sent: Tuesday, January 3, 2023 4:05 PM
To: gaming.sm.nycasinos <nycasinos@gaming.ny.gov>
Subject: NEW YORK GAMING FACILITY LOCATION BOARD RELEASES REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR UP TO THREE COMMERCIAL CASINOS
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January 3, 2023
NEW YORK GAMING FACILITY LOCATION BOARD RELEASES REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR UP TO THREE COMMERCIAL CASINOS
The New York Gaming Facility Board (Board) today unanimously voted to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) to solicit proposals for up to three commercial casinos in New York State.
In 2013, the New York State Constitution was amended to authorize up to seven commercial casinos in the state. Subsequently, the State sited four destination resort casinos in Upstate New York. In 2022, the enacted New York State Budget established a new siting process and criteria for the remaining three licenses.
Revenue from new gaming facilities is expected to generate substantial fiscal benefit to New York’s public schools, local governments, and problem gambling treatment services. The jobs created by these casinos must deliver livable wages to help families live, stay, and prosper in New York.
The Board unanimously determined that the minimum capital investment and license fee for Applicants seeking to build a commercial casino is $500 million each.
By statute, a separate, appointed Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will review Applications. In addition, the successful completion of municipal zoning and land-use processes will ensure that only projects embraced by the community would be presented to the Board for consideration. Other important components of the Application may depend upon the understanding of the potential competitive landscape with other Applicants, which may only be gauged after these processes have been completed.
Due to these timing nuances, the Board will not impose artificial deadlines in today’s RFA issuance, other than the due date for the first round of questions (February 3, 2023) and the Return Date (30 Days from the Board’s response to the second set of questions).
After the Return Date for this RFA, a CAC for each Application received may be formed and obtain a complete copy of the associated Application materials.
In recommending an Applicant for license, the Board will evaluate and determine which Applicant(s) proposes to best advance the below objectives:
Economic Activity & Business Development Factors (70 percent):
· Capital investment
· Maximizing State and Local revenues
· Providing the highest number of quality jobs
· Creating a gaming facility of the highest caliber with a variety of quality amenities
Local Impact Siting (10 percent):
· Mitigating potential impacts on municipalities
· Full and diversified regional tourism
· Partnerships with live entertainment venues
Workforce Enhancement (10 percent):
· Workforce development plan
· Specific goals for the utilization of minorities, women and service-disabled veterans on construction jobs and an overall workforce diversity framework. It is expected that such goals meet or exceed New York State’s 30 percent utilization goal of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise contracts.
· Problem gambling prevention measures
· Sustainable development principles
· A skilled and diverse workforce
· Domestically manufactured slot machines
· Organized labor agreements
Diversity Framework (10 percent):
· Workforce demographics
· Diversity in ownership and leadership
· Current and planned diversity efforts
The Board welcomes public input and will consider all public comments received during the process.
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Thanks for the help. The item’s below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy, if you give me a mailing address.
Claude Solnik
Long Island Business News
2150 Smithtown Ave.
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779-7348
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.Easy money.
The
