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MGM Empire City has unveiled fresh details about its $2.3 billion plan to turn the Yonkers racino into a full resort. The update came from MGM Northeast Group President Louis Theos during an interview on NY1’s Inside City Hall, where he shared points that hadn’t come up at the Community Advisory Committee hearing. The Yonkers project is one of eight bids competing for just three downstate New York casino licenses.
The casino license race has hit a key stage, with CAC panels looking closely at how each plan lines up with what the community wants. During its hearing, MGM pushed the quick turnaround it could deliver, the size of its investment, and the thousands of jobs it claims the project would create.
However, Theo’s subsequent appearance on NY1 brought to light additional pledges, including the preservation of horse racing at the historic Yonkers Raceway, as well as a firm commitment against pursuing residential development on the site. Furthermore, MGM expressed its confidence that a full casino license could nearly double the current gross gaming revenue of $600 million. This optimism shows a wider trend in the gaming and iGaming industry, where operators are capitalizing on both physical locations and a variety of online platforms that you can visit here. The latter provides key benefits like enhanced convenience, a wider variety of games, and lucrative bonuses. However, brick-and-mortar venues do still have their place in the industry, albeit a changing one.
Theos also announced plans for a 5,000-seat entertainment venue designed to host Las Vegas-type shows, with the company intending to leverage its database of over three million MGM Rewards members who reside within a 200-mile radius. In terms of employment, MGM anticipates adding 2,000 new permanent jobs to its current staff of approximately 745, with the company expecting the percentage of Yonkers residents on its payroll to either remain stable or to actually increase. Apart from the economic benefits, MGM has also made several commitments to the community, including initiatives for stormwater capture to combat flooding issues and financing additional police resources.
Notably, MGM was the only bidder that did not present during the initial organizational CAC hearing, but it did later showcase its vision at a separate public meeting. While its project is the smallest among the remaining eight bids, its proposed July 2027 opening date is the second shortest of all of the timelines. The Empire City project is widely considered a frontrunner due to its existing status as an operational racino and the relative ease of conversion. However, potential past compliance issues, like previous regulatory actions in Nevada concerning anti-money laundering lapses, could be a factor in the evaluation for this licensing.
All eight bidders have now made their presentations to their respective CACs, and all have held at least one public meeting. New York state law mandates that at least one additional public meeting be held before the CACs vote by September 30 on whether to advance the applications. An application that receives approval from four out of six committee members will then proceed to the Gaming Facility Location Board, which will make final recommendations to the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC). The NYSGC is expected to issue the licenses by the end of the year. This is a decision that will have a lasting impact on the future of gaming in this region. The next CAC public hearing is scheduled for September 16, a date many are watching closely. The process is nearing its conclusion, and the stakes for Yonkers are high.
