MGM abruptly pulls bid for casino license after receiving approval for Yonkers expansion
Here's why MGM says it pulled bid for casino license
The statement mentions that the proposal to expand Empire City Casino was based on the receipt of a license that would last 30 years. FOX 5 NY's Arthur Chi'en has the details.
YONKERS - MGM Yonkers has withdrawn its application for a commercial casino license in Yonkers only weeks after its expansion plan was approved.
Casino bid pulled
What we know:
A subsidiary of MGM Resorts International has withdrawn its casino bid for MGM Empire City, according to a statement released by the company.
The statement mentions that the proposal to expand Empire City Casino was based on the receipt of a license that would last 30 years.
The proposed site for the expansion of the Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York, US, on Monday June, 23, 2025. Bids for the three casino licenses in the NYC area were due on June 27th, with at least eight projects vying for a co
Included in the statement is potential reasoning for the sudden withdrawal: "… Based on newly issued guidance from the State of New York, we now expect to qualify for only a 15-year license."
Also mentioned in the statement is the "newly defined competitive landscape – with four proposals clustered in a small geographic area."
An expansion plan for Resorts World Casino New York City was recently approved by the Queens Advisory Committee, and several other casino proposals remain active.
The backstory:
A Yonkers committee approved plans for expansion at MGM Empire City on Sept. 25.
The location was one of the first casino bids to receive approval.
What they're saying:
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano released a statement in response to the withdrawal:
"This decision by MGM defies all logic, and it’s nothing short of a betrayal to the people of Yonkers and Westchester County. I am calling on Governor Hochul to launch an independent investigation into this process, because the reasons MGM gives for its 180-degree reversal just don't add up. It's no secret that the big winner from this reversal will be Bally's proposal for a casino at the former Trump Links in Whitestone. It's also no secret that Bally's has a deal with Donald Trump that they will pay him an additional $115 million if they can open a casino there. People need to be assured that there is no linkage between MGM's decision and the massive financial benefit to Donald Trump. The people of Yonkers deserve to know if this process was tainted or manipulated in any way."
Mayor Spano also stated that MGM's blaming of the state government "rings hollow."
"The people of Yonkers deserve answers," Spano concluded.
The Source: This article includes information from statements provided by MGM and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano.