Inside Gaming: Off-Strip casino offers promotion for baseball bettors; New York casino bids

Red Rock Resorts’ Sunset Station property is offering baseball bettors with losing wagers to recover some of their losses with a “Second Chance Baseball Drawing” promotion.

Bettors who lose a wager of $20 or more can enter their losing tickets for a drawing for cash or points on the company’s Boarding Pass loyalty card.

Drawings are planned at 6 p.m. the next two Fridays, July 4 and 11.

New York casino licenses

New York officially opened the application window for three class III gaming licenses, and several gaming companies with Las Vegas ties are vying for the chance to operate a full-scale casino-resort in the greater New York City area.

MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Genting Group (owner-operator of Resorts World Las Vegas), Hard Rock International and Bally’s Corp., all submitted bids and development proposals on Friday, according to multiple press releases and various media reports. There are a total of eight applicants for the three available downstate New York gaming licenses.

Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts, which operates Empire City Casino in Yonkers, and Genting, which operates Resorts World New York City at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, are generally considered by industry and policy experts to be frontrunners for two of the available licenses.

The two facilities currently possess a license to operate video lottery terminals, which are different from the random number generator-controlled slot machines found in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. A N.Y. class III gaming license would allow for RNG slots and live dealer table games.

Resorts World NYC was the highest grossing commercial casino outside Nevada in the United States last year, according to the American Gaming Association data. Empire City Casino was No. 6.

Genting and Resorts World NYC submitted a proposal to the New York Gaming Commission and Gaming Facility Control Board for a $5.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot casino in Southeast Queens.

MGM put forth a $2.3 billion expansion of Empire City.

“Empire City Casino and Yonkers Raceway have anchored the entertainment and tourism culture in downstate New York for more than a century. Achieving a full casino license will ensure this site will continue to be a cultural and economic force for generations to come,” said Bill Hornbuckle, president and chief executive officer of MGM Resorts International.

Hard Rock International and billionaire Steve Cohen have partnered for an $8 billion project called Metropolitan Park. Cohen, owner of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, and Hard Rock want to build the casino and entertainment complex between Citi Field and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open.

Caesars Palace Times Square (a partnership among Caesars Entertainment, SL Green, Roc Nation and Live Nation) in Manhattan and a proposed Bally’s-operated $4 billion casino-resort next to the former Trump Links golf course are also among the applicants.

“Caesars Palace Times Square builds on a long history of building world-class destinations that drive tourism, create jobs, and deliver lasting value to the communities we serve,” said Thomas Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment. “New Yorkers have the opportunity to do something truly extraordinary right in the heart of the most iconic entertainment district in the world. This proposal brings together an unmatched location, unmatched access, and unmatched team to deliver a project worthy of New York.”

There are two other bids for Manhattan casino projects and another for a gambling parlor to be built on Brooklyn’s Coney Island.

New York officials have indicated a desire to issue the three downstate casino licenses by the end of 2025.

Gaming industry experts expect New York to challenge New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the title of second-largest commercial gambling market in the U.S. Since the launch of mobile and online sports betting in January 2022, New York has become the country’s largest legal sports betting market.

Kalshi update

A Nevada Gaming Commission member has asked for an update from the attorney general’s office on the status of litigation against the Nevada Gaming Control Board by KalshiEx LLC, the prediction market that is writing contracts on sports outcomes but has no Nevada gaming license.

Commissioner Brian Krolicki, at Thursday’s commission meeting, asked for the update, stating that Kalshi was a major focus of attention at a recent conference for gaming advisers he attended.

Krolicki asked for the update because of the “profound consequences” Kalshi futures contracts have had on Nevada sports wagering. He noted Kalshi is thriving after raising $185 million in a recent public offering and has reached $2 billion in valuation. The company has said it has positioned its markets as a complement to traditional polling with politics and sports leading future growth.

Aristocrat wins bid

Australia-based Aristocrat Gaming, which has a major presence in Las Vegas, has won a competitive bid for a multiyear agreement to produce Monopoly-based slot machine games from Hasbro Inc.

Aristocrat will begin manufacturing new games in early 2026. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. It will become the first new land-based casino licensee for Hasbro in more than 25 years.

“It was evident through our selection process that Aristocrat Gaming was the natural fit for the next evolution of the Monopoly brand in the gaming category,” said Claire Hunter Gregson, director of gaming relationships for Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based Hasbro. “We can’t wait for Monopoly fans to experience all new premium gaming content on casino floors.”

In a release, Aristocrat CEO Craig Toner said winning the bid was big for the company.

“To be selected as Hasbro’s land-based slots partner, after a highly competitive process, is a proud milestone for Aristocrat Gaming,” said Toner. “Our commitment to innovation and bold creativity sets us apart, and we’re excited to reimagine Monopoly slot games for today’s players around the globe.”

Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.