Latest New York casino licence battle to commence

ing has been officially opened for a casino licence in the Southern Tier region of New York.

The New York Gaming Commission has approved a new Request for Applications (RFA) and operators have a July deadline to make an application.

Tioga Downs is so far the only operator to have announced plans to bid for a licence, having missed out on the granting of three licenses to operators in December.

The New York Gaming Facility Location Board released the 83-page RFA online on Monday, in which it stated in a letter to applicants: “New York State is removing the barriers and red tape that, for too long, inhibited doing business in the state. This Request for Applications was designed in that spirit.”

Members of the location board decided to award Montreign Resort and Casino, Rivers Casino and Resort, and Lago Resort Casino with licenses in December, who were selected ahead of 13 other candidates.

The board chose not to grant a fourth licence at that time to protect the market space for the three chosen licensees, though the casino legislation allowed them to select up to four applicants, and the licenses are still yet to be officially issued.

A constitutional amendment that was approved by New York voters in 2013 allowed an expansion of the number of casinos in the state and a total of more than $11m was spent on the campaigns from applicants.