Budget Director Doubtful on Prospects of Downstate Casino Expansion

March 18th, 2019

Robert Mujica, the Governor’s Budget Director, expressed doubt about the idea that New York could accelerate the opening of downstate casinos despite a recent push to do so in the wake of MGM’s purchase of Empire City Casino in Yonkers. Mujica said that even if the state could accelerate the issuance of licenses, it would not be able to afford the $300 million penalty for violating the seven year exclusivity arrangement with upstate casinos. The idea of downstate casinos in general has also met with some hesitancy from the Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.