New York to Pick Casino License Winners Soon

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is under pressure to pick the best out of 16 bids for the state’s four new casinos.

With American gambling laws leaving it up to state authorities to decide whether they allow gambling venues or not, Cuomo is in charge of the board that’s supposed to decide who gets to build New York’s four casinos. There are 16 offers to choose from, and companies like Genting and Caesars Entertainment have shown interest in the NY market.

The governor has promised new job opportunities and extra income for the state. His plan to allow casinos in New York could either make this dream come true, or completely backfire. Atlantic City has proved that there are a few too many casinos in America, and Detroit’s bid on casinos hasn’t worked out too well either.

“No doubt there is a saturation issue in the Northeast,” said Genting spokesman Stefan Friedman. “What resorts like ours are trying to do is attract a new clientele.”

New market, new clients

While lawmakers are still debating whether to allow online poker sites in the US state of New York, Cuomo estimated that land-based casinos will add $430 million to the state and local budget.

Malaysia’s largest casino operator Genting is proposing a $1.5 billion resort-casino in Tuxedo, targeting Asian customers. Caesars wants to build an $880 million gambling venue about 50 miles north of Manhattan, while Mohegan Sun wants to attract the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to the Catskills.

All final pitches will be heard next week, and then it’s up to the sitting panel to decide who gets the green light.