There will not be a casino in Times Square. A community advisory committee, in charge of overseeing the proposed Times Square casino, has voted against the project—with four voting against and two voting in support. This closes a chapter on a battle that had divided the theatre industry, which saw rallies for and against the casino in recent days.
The casino, which would have been called Caesars Palace Times Square, had planned to build around the Minskoff Theatre (home of The Lion King). A joint venture between SL Green Realty, Caesars Entertainment, Roc Nation, and Live Nation—the project would have converted the existing office building at 1515 Broadway into a large-scale casino, Broadway theatre, restaurant, and a hotel.
Opponents to the casino expressed concern that, in an already overwhelmingly crowded 10-block radius, the casino would increase street crowding, traffic, and potentially crime, and also weaken New York City's tax base. The organizations that opposed the casino included the Broadway League, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Entertainment Community Fund, the Theatre Development Fund, stage workers union IATSE, designers union United Scenic Artists 829, and The Shubert Organization. Last week, Broadway marquees around Times Square lit up red with the words "no crime no chaos no casino."
Said Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, in a statement: “This was a vote to protect the magic of Broadway for the one hundred thousand New Yorkers who depend on it for their livelihoods, and for the tens of millions who come from around the world to experience it. A casino can go anywhere, but Broadway only lives here. We are so filled with gratitude for the committee members and the local elected officials—State Senator Liz Krueger, Assembly Member Tony Simone, Borough President Mark Levine and Council Member Erik Bottcher—who looked at the facts, listened to the residents, and stood up for this neighborhood and the theater community.”
The no vote, following two in-person public hearings last week, means the Times Square casino will not advance to the New York State Gaming Commission. With Caesars Palace Times Square out, there are now seven pending casino applications, as part of the State's plan to have three new casinos built somewhere in the five boroughs of New York City and Yonkers. Each casino proposal will first have to be approved by an advisory committee before the Gaming Commission will consider it. The state is expected to issue the three new licenses in January 2026.
Supporters of the casino included unions Actors' Equity Association and American Federation of Musicians Local 802, which represent Broadway actors/stage managers and musicians, respectively. The casino developers had promised $7 billion in tax revenue to New York state; $124 million in ticket revenue to Broadway theatres; a $32 million direct investment in child care, student and medical debt assistance, and rent support for Broadway workers; and a $20 million fund to purchase Broadway tickets for low-income families.
SL Green Realty CEO Marc Holliday criticized the committee's decision, saying: "What you did here today was a despicable display of cowardice, lack of leadership, lack of consideration for all the people who would benefit from this proposal. You know it, we met the standard and then some. The only one with courage to stand up is the mayor and governor appointees, and everyone else runs and hides. Go run and hide because what you did, the benefits you denied this community, and this city and state, you have delivered that history forever."
