Officials in Nassau County are going back to the drawing board in an effort to help Las Vegas Sands Corp. secure a New York casino license and build a multi-billion project on Long Island.
The county is reworking a land use agreement with the gambling company over a $4 billion casino entertainment complex proposal at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman reaffirmed the county’s intent to assist Sands in securing one of three available downstate NY casino licenses.
“In spite of delays and changing circumstances, we are fully committed to deal with Sands to bring a world-class hotel, entertainment center, casino and spa to Nassau County.”
Sands ‘committed’ to becoming ‘excellent neighbor’ in Nassau County
This decision follows a ruling by a state judge in February that invalidated a 99-year deal between the county and Sands.
The judge also noted that Nassau County had approved the lease without conducting a proper public hearing or environmental review.
The Sands project is the only proposal on Long Island.
A spokesperson for Sands told News 12 that it remained “grateful for the extraordinary and diverse support our proposal continues to receive and look forward to working with all parties involved to move this transformational development forward.
“We remain committed to being a collaborative partner and excellent neighbor to the organizations and residents of Nassau County.”
Can Sands NY casino proposal get over community hurdles?
Hofstra University, which already calls Long Island home, filed a successful legal challenge to the lease agreement between Sands and the county. The university alleged the two sides brokered the deal behind closed doors and in violation of NY’s open public meetings law.
Community support is a requirement for the state to issue a casino license.
Las Vegas Sands is among 11 likely applicants for three available downstate NY casino licenses. The downstate area is defined as the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island, as well as the counties of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam.
The downstate New York casino license race will be fierce and costly. In addition to a $500 million licensing fee, the winning applicants must spend at least $500 million on capital investment and demonstrate maximum revenue-generating capabilities to state regulators.
A retail gambling license could also open the door for online casinos in NY, which could eventually become a billion-dollar market.
