US Edition'Nothing Short Of A Betrayal': Empire City Abruptly Ends Bid For Casino License
MGM Resorts cited shifting economic conditions and regulatory changes that reduced a 30-year license to 15 years, making the $2.3 billion Yonkers casino project unfeasible.
- On Oct. 14, 2025, MGM Yonkers Inc., a subsidiary of MGM Resorts International, withdrew its commercial casino license application after concluding the project was no longer viable.
- MGM said the shift in economic assumptions and State of New York guidance cutting the license term from 30 to 15 years undermined returns on its $1.7 billion expansion and $2.3 billion investment.
- Last month, a Community Advisory Committee unanimously endorsed MGM Resorts' $2.3 billion Empire City Casino expansion, which has operated since 2006 and generated $1.6 billion for New York State education since 2019.
- With MGM stepping aside, three remain, and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins called for an investigation, citing potential political influence that 'could result in a profit of roughly $115 million for Trump'.
- The Gaming Facility Location Board is expected to make its selections by Dec. 1, 2025, recommending up to three winners based on economic impact, tax revenue, jobs, timelines, and experience.
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44 Articles
Commentary – What Does MGM’s Casino Application Withdrawal Mean for the City of Yonkers? - The Yonkers Ledger
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Empire_City_Casino_jeh.jpg A Stunning Reversal for Planned Yonkers Casino Yonkers City Officials were in shock yesterday when MGM unexpectedly announced it was withdrawing its NY State application for a full gaming license at its Yonkers racino. This is understandable: the City stands to lose a purported $52 million in annual revenue from the casino, as well as millions of dollars under the Community Benef…
Casino license bid narrows to 3 contenders in NYC area
NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Just three players remain in the bid to win a casino license in New York City — two in Queens and one in the Bronx — after one contender in Westchester County abruptly dropped out Tuesday. MGM Resorts announced it is no longer pursuing a plan to build a multibillion-dollar casino in Yonkers, a move that left Mayor Michael Spano stunned. More Local News “Something smells, and they need to follow the money to see what hap…
MGM unexpectedly withdraws casino license application for Empire City in Yonkers
MGM on Tuesday unexpectedly withdrew its casino license application for Empire City in Yonkers. “Today, MGM Resorts made the difficult decision to withdraw its application for a commercial casino license in Yonkers, New York,” the company said in a statement. “Since submitting our application in June, the competitive and economic assumptions underpinning our application have shifted, altering our return expectations on the proposed $2.3 billion …
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