A while back, Las Vegas Sands expressed its desire to land one of the three available downstate casino licenses in New York. It plans to launch an integrated casino resort at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale on Long Island. However, on Friday, a New York State Supreme Court Justice reiterated her previous ruling which invalidated the lease transfer for the site.
In November 2023, NYS Supreme Court Justice Sarika Kapoor ruled that the lease between Sands and Nassau breached New York’s open meeting laws and the State Environmental Quality Review Act process. However, an appellate court said that the lease could proceed until an appeal was heard, which led to an environmental review of the gaming project.
Adding More Controversy
Justice Kapoor’s new ruling caused even more controversy regarding Las Vegas Sands and Nassau’s efforts to launch an integrated casino resort which would create jobs and economic benefits. Hofstra University was behind the original suit against the project, as the school and other opposition groups have expressed their discontent with the plan to have a nearby casino.
However, Hofstra was also involved in a scandal, as there were recent rumours about the university being connected to representatives of Hard Rock International in an attempt to halt the Long Island bid. Hard Rock is also in pursuit of a downstate license, as it partnered with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen for Citi Field in Queens, which makes it a direct competitor to LVS.
Meanwhile, Sands and Nassau can move forward, if they comply with open meeting laws and the SEQRA process. Meanwhile, the “Say No to the Casino” group wants the lease to be returned to the prior holder. The group seeks for Hempstead to pause the SEQRA process and said the recent ruling was not necessary and claims the operator intestinally flouted the judge’s November call.
Furthermore, the group remarked that the residents of Nassau County had the right to know why County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the County Legislature, and Sands would continue to blatantly ignore Judge Kapoor’s ruling from November 2023, and proceed with the process as if the gambling leader still has control over the land, and push the town to start the SEQRA process.
In addition to that, the Nassau casino complex was also opposed by the Long Island Sierra Club which believes the plans should be slowed down. The group discussed the potential environmental damage that the project could cause to the region. Noting that the project’s water usage, garbage removal, road congestion, energy demands, and disruption of the wildlife.
Related Companies Sheds More Light on Bid
Last week, another competitor for a downstate license, Related Companies, revealed more details on its bid for a casino at Hudson Yards. The company has submitted a rezoning application with the Department of City Planning for its US$12 billion plan. It includes three skyscrapers featuring a casino, hotel, accommodations, 2 million square feet of office space, over 1,500 residential units, a public school, and green areas.
Source: Eidler, Scott, Chinese, Vera “Las Vegas Sands lacks valid lease for Nassau Coliseum, judge rules” NewsDay, February 23, 2024
