The Massive Apple is about to roll the cube on playing, and lots of billionaire buyers wish to strive their luck at successful the large prize.
Elected officers have lastly approved one on line casino license within the Massive Apple (that is proper—only one for a metropolis of 8 million folks), inflicting an enormous and typically ugly bidding battle between numerous rich suitors.
One social gathering is nonother than Jay-Z and his leisure firm Roc Nation. The entrepreneur well-known for saying, “I am not a businessman, I am a enterprise, man,” has teamed up with SL Inexperienced and Caesars Leisure to suggest constructing a Caesars Palace within the coronary heart of bustling Instances Sq..
In an open letter on Roc Nation’s Instagram and Twitter titled “It is Time, Instances Sq.,” the corporate made a case for why they need to be granted New York Metropolis’s playing golden ticket.
“The successful group will need to have a observe report of turning phrases into deeds — of placing New York Metropolis and its residents first — folks of all races, religions, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and socio-economic statuses,” the assertion stated. “Our proposal lays out an modern plan that won’t solely draw extra vacationers to our metropolis however will even improve the lives of on a regular basis New Yorkers.”
Jay-Z’s plan guarantees to present again to surrounding companies, profit mass transit, put money into sanitation and safety, and “ship a much-needed transportation plan,” amongst different issues. “Our bid commits $115 million for numerous theater packages that embrace daycare for Broadway employees and their households,” the letter stated.
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An all-out bidding battle
New York voters authorized of Las Vegas-like casinos of their state in 2013. Nevertheless it wasn’t till final yr that elected officers in Albany approved on line casino licenses for downstate New York, together with New York Metropolis, Lengthy Island, and Westchester County.
The prospect of opening a completely operational on line casino within the largest metropolis in America has billionaires salivating to change into the King of New York casinos. Except for Jay-Z, different bidders embrace New York Mets proprietor Steve Cohen, Gristedes grocery store scion John Catsimatidis, and Hudson Yards developer Stephen Ross.
“Each billionaire needs a on line casino. The epitome of success within the US is to personal your personal on line casino,” a supply informed The New York Submit.
Nonetheless, the billionaires have totally different concepts about the place they wish to construct their casinos. Cohen has teamed up with Laborious Rock and needs to open a on line casino round Citi Discipline in Queens, the place the Mets play. Catsimatidis is eyeing Coney Island, well-known for its boardwalk, amusement park, and scorching canine consuming contest. Ross, who has partnered with Wynn, needs to place the on line casino within the newly developed Hudson Yards.
Accusations of a ‘misinformation’ marketing campaign
The Roc Nation letter, which additionally appeared in adverts within the New York Submit, New York Each day Information, and Amsterdam Information, accused some “conflicted events” of spreading “misinformation,” claiming they’d written the letter to set the report straight.
Whereas Roc Nation didn’t identify names, some imagine they might be referring to a coalition of Broadway theater homeowners and producers, the midtown Manhattan neighborhood, and tenant organizations calling themselves No Instances Sq. On line casino.
In response to an article in Deadline, the coalition opposes constructing a Caesars Palace in Instances Sq., additionally residence to most Broadway theaters, citing site visitors congestion, financial disruption, and making the realm “much less welcoming to households.”
