Las Vegas Sands Corp has announced it will apply for a commercial casino license in downstate New York. The Nevada-headquartered casino and hotel operator confirmed in a press release plans for the development of a “multi-billion-dollar flagship hospitality, entertainment, and casino project” on Long Island, New York. 

Las Vegas Sands to Build Integrated Resort on Long Island 

The proposed integrated resort would be built on an 80-acre lot at the same site where the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is currently located. The mega project would include a casino that would take up no more than 10 percent of the total area. 

Additionally, the complex would feature a world-class live performance venue, four- and five-star hotel rooms, a flexible meeting and convention area, celebrity chef restaurants, and outdoor community spaces. Other facilities include a spa, and a swimming pool and health club.

Intense Competition For License

Las Vegas Sands, which owns Macau casino operator Sands China Ltd and the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, is just one of the major gaming operators with operations in Asia that have either announced plans to pursue a casino license in downstate New York or have been speculated to join the bidding process.

Wynn Resorts Ltd, the parent company of Wynn Macau Ltd, is also expected to be among the bidders, as are MGM Resorts International and Malaysia’s Genting Group, both of which already have existing gaming operations in New York.

Up to three commercial casino licenses have been approved for New York. The application process is now open.

Companies seeking to build a casino in New York City (NYC) may now submit their proposals after the New York Gaming Facility Board issued a Request for Applications for three gaming licenses in the city.

NYC Casino Bidding Process Now Open

In its first public meeting on January 3, 2023, the Board agreed to set the minimum license fee and capital investment at $500 million for the potential bidders. Any project would need to obtain community approval first and must pass zoning requirements before being considered by the Board. 

No official deadlines have been announced yet other than the due date for the applicants’ first set of questions which is on February 3, 2023.

Competition Heats Up

Among the proposed locations for a new casino in NYC is Times Square, the city’s most famous landmark. SL Green and Caesars Entertainment are joining forces to build a casino in the area, with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation picked as entertainment partner.

MGM Resorts and Malaysia’s Genting Group which operate racinos in Yonkers and Queens respectively are also expected to submit their bids and both are seen as having an advantage considering that they will only need to expand their venues instead of constructing a new casino.

The local governments of Osaka and Nagasaki have both announced they’re now moving onto the next stage of developing their respective anti-gambling addiction schemes which is among the key processes required for building Japan’s first integrated resort (IR) with a casino. Both cities submitted their IR proposal to the national government in April 2022.

Gambling Addiction Countermeasures to be Finalized in Early 2023

Osaka has established a department tasked with promoting countermeasures against gambling addiction. The said department, headed by Hirofumi Yoshimura, the governor of the Osaka prefecture, held its first meeting on December 28, 2022 during which members discussed the 2nd-term promotion plan of gambling addiction countermeasures. 

The Osaka prefecture will conduct a public consultation before finalizing the promotion plan. 

Nagasaki is taking similar steps, with its public comment-gathering process set to conclude on January 19, 2023.  It will also finalize its 2nd-term promotion plan early in the year. 

Both plans cover the 2023-2025 financial years.

IR Decision Could be Announced in Jan 2023

Osaka is planning to build a JPY1.08-trillion (US$8.1 billion) casino resort on the man-made Yumeshima island, in partnership with MGM Resorts International. Meanwhile, Nagasaki’s proposed IR project with its commercial partner Casinos Australia International Japan will cost JPY438.3 billion to develop. It will be located near the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo City.

The national government could decide on the IR bids before the end of January 2023.

Japan’s national government will pick Osaka over Nagasaki as its preferred bidder for the country’s first integrated resort, with approval most likely to be granted in January 2023. That’s according to Osaka MP Nobuyuki Baba who said a decision could be out “before the Diet session starts”. 

Osaka Expected to Obtain IR Nod

In a statement to Japanese media, Baba said leaders of his party, Japan Innovation, had been in talks with national officials and the ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), on the status of Osaka’s IR proposal. Though he stopped short of mentioning names, Baba said the forthcoming decision should be positive for Osaka. 

Osaka submitted its IR District Development Plan to the national government in April. The city is proposing to build a casino resort on the man-made Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay. The city is partnering with MGM Resorts International for the JPY1.08 –trillion (US$8.1 billion) project. 

Public Consultation Ongoing

Yumeshima will also play host to Expo 2025, a global fair that will take place from April to October 2025. Osaka will utilize a 50-hectare plot for the event. The IR project will stand on a separate 49-acre site on the artificial island. 

Osaka’s IR proposal and Expo 2025 are both part of “phase 2” of Yumeshima. Local authorities recently opened a public consultation on the matter which will conclude on May 10, 2023.

The Nevada Gaming Commission has stepped up efforts to combat cyberattacks, with the unanimous approval of new regulation aimed at protecting casinos and their patrons from data breach. The amended regulation will see licensed operators develop risk assessment plans relating to cybersecurity threats within one year. 

Casinos Must Develop Cybersecurity Best Practices

The new changes were approved on December 22, 2022 and will come into effect on January 1, 2023. It applies to all licensed casinos and sportsbooks operating in the state.

The new regulation requires each licensed operator to develop the cybersecurity best practices it deems appropriate, and modify them at least every year. The licensees must also report any data breach arising from a cyberattack to the Nevada Gaming Control Board within 72 hours. 

Both the Nevada Resort Association (NRA) and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) agreed to the new changes. Virginia Valentine, president of the NRA, said certain aspects of the new regulation were drafted based on feedback from the association’s members. Similarly, suggestions from AGEM were also included in the final document. 

Cyberattacks at Casinos

Over the years, casinos have become the subject of cyberattacks, often resulting in confidential information being compromised. One of the victims was Hard Rock Hotel (now operating as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas) which was hit by a data breach affecting customer credit cards twice in 2015 and 2016.