Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioTwo of the contenders for a New York City area casino license are making headlines this week, one for a high-profile community initiative, the other for an internal scandal.
Caesars Palace Times Square, a proposal in the heart of the theater district, announced a new partnership with actor and producer Wendell Pierce. The initiative includes a $10 million investment to support the New York Coalition of Legacy Theatres of Color Fund.
Meanwhile, Hard Rock International, which is backing the Metropolitan Park casino bid in Queens alongside Mets owner Steve Cohen, is dealing with fallout from a betting scandal involving one of its top executives.
Caesars Launches $10M Theater Fund
The $10 million fund will support theaters of color and provide direct investments into properties like:
- The Billie Holiday Theatre
- The New Heritage Theatre Group
- The Black Spectrum Theatre
- The Negro Ensemble Company
All beneficiaries of the funds will have access to the benefits offered by Caesars Palace Times Square. They include childcare for performers and crews, student and medical debt relief, and rental assistance. Additionally, they will have access to exclusive job opportunities at the casino resort.
A board of “diverse and respected arts leaders”, including Pierce, will govern the fund. The fund will also be open to further contributions from private donors.
Pierce announced that he fully endorses the project, which he believes will help cultural groups of color become leaders in shaping Times Square’s future:
“Caesars Palace Times Square is a formidable investment, creating access and opportunity, with a profound creation of jobs in the greatest cultural economy of the world. This project will not only be transformative for our creative Broadway community but for the broader labor force as well.”
The Caesars Palace Times Square project, backed by Caesars Entertainment, SL Green, and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, aims to integrate the casino into New York’s arts and performance community.
It claims the backing of over 200 businesses and organizations. It also received support from civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and Ryan Williams, founder of the real estate investment platform Cedre.
Still, the proposal faces pushback from multiple local associations and trade groups, primarily serving the interests of the theater industry.
They include the Broadway League, IATSE, Sardi’s, The Shubert Organization, and block associations. They claim the casino will raise crime, gambling addiction, and destroy the theater district.
Hard Rock Faces Scrutiny as Integrity Questions Emerge
Across town, Hard Rock International, which touts that the Metropolitan Park entertainment district next to Citi Field will create 23,000 jobs, is facing a reputational blow.
As Casino.org first reported, Hard Rock has fired Senior Vice President Alex Pariente. The decision was made after an investigation into allegations that he was involved in money structuring practices and facilitating questionable gambling activity at the company’s Punta Cana property in the Dominican Republic.
That includes structuring a $100,000 deposit into 33 smaller transactions, violating anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.
The scandal comes at an inconvenient time for Hard Rock. Earlier this week, the operator and a team representing the project pitched Metropolitan Park to its Community Advisory Committee.
The team touted community and local leader support, promising a $1 billion investment in Queens. This will support the building of parks, food halls, and community centers, funding health centers, providing scholarships, and upgrading Little League fields.
High Stakes in the Final Stretch
Caesars Palace Times Square and Metropolitan Park are among eight bids vying for three highly coveted casino licenses in the New York metro area. Other contenders include:
- MGM’s Empire City in Yonkers
- Genting’s Resorts World New York City in Queens
- Bally’s Bronx casino
- Thor Equities’ The Coney in Coney Island
- Silverstein Properties’ The Avenir in Manhattan
- Soloviev Group’s Freedom Plaza in Manhattan.
Each proposal must pass through at least two Community Advisory Committee meetings and receive an affirmative vote by four of six committee members to advance to the next stage.
If the bids are accepted, they will be subject to a final consideration by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board. The board will review all applications and award three casino licenses by the end of the year.
