Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman mentioned earlier this week his workplace is engaged on an amended lease settlement between the county and Las Vegas Sands that would clean the gaming agency’s efforts to win one among three downstate on line casino licenses in New York.
Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman says the county is engaged on a brand new lease settlement for Nassau Hub with Las Vegas Sands. (Picture: YouTube)
The announcement arrived a couple of week after it grew to become clear the county would work with the County Planning Fee and the legislature to change the beforehand reached settlement with Sands for the rights to Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. That’s the place the gaming firm is hoping to construct a $6 billion on line casino lodge.
Sands paid $241 million for the lease rights to Nassau Hub, however final November, New York State Supreme Court docket Justice Sarika Kapoor struck down the settlement, ruling it violated the state’s environmental evaluate and open conferences legal guidelines.
That litigation was introduced by Hofstra College, which is situated close to the Coliseum and which has been a vocal critic of a gaming venue opening in Nassau County.
Delays May Work in County’s, Sands’ Favor
Final Could, Nassau County legislators voted 17-1 in favor of granting Sands a 99-year lease to develop county-owned land on the Nassau Hub web site, confirming there’s sturdy bipartisan assist for the Lengthy Island on line casino lodge thought.
When Kapoor’s ruling got here down and was later upheld, there was hypothesis that Sands’ efforts to win one of many three New York Metropolis-area on line casino permits could possibly be stymied because of the time it typically takes the state’s excessive courts to work by way of environmental evaluate circumstances.
Nonetheless, LVS and Nassau County in addition to different rivals needing extra time to take care of land and different points might have been thrown a lifeline by the state’s extremely criticized, slow-moving bidding course of.
Coming into this yr, it was hoped that there can be readability on the bidding course of — if not selections — earlier than the top of 2024. Now, it seems as if that would prolong into late 2025, if not past. Understandably, that’s to not the liking of gaming corporations, boroughs, and counties banking on a brand new income supply, however the added time offers Nassau County and LVS flexibility to hammer a lease settlement that may stand up to authorized scrutiny.
Sands, Nassau County are on Similar Web page
All through the authorized maneuverings introduced by Hofstra and New York regulatory confusion, Nassau County leaders and Sands have remained dedicated to bringing the on line casino lodge idea thought to life.
We’re grateful for the extraordinary and numerous assist our proposal continues to obtain and sit up for working with all events concerned to maneuver this transformational growth ahead,” Sands mentioned in an announcement on Thursday. “We stay dedicated to being a collaborative companion and glorious neighbor to the organizations and residents of Nassau County.”
Blakeman added that the county is “totally dedicated” to working with Sands to carry the built-in resort thought throughout the end line.
