Dear Neighbor,

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 28th, at 5pm, the New York State Gaming Commission is holding a virtual Public Scoping Session to gather public comments on the draft scope of work guiding the environmental review process for the proposed Caesars Palace Times Square Casino.

Unfortunately, there was very little notice given for this session. If you are unable to make it tomorrow night, written comments are being accepted through June 11th at 5pm.

The State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process engages the public in several ways, including scoping. Scoping is the part of the process during which the issues to be addressed in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) are identified. The environmental review process is just the first step in a multi-part casino siting process. You can read more about the process here and here.

The Gaming Commission has posted environmental review material for the Times Square Casino on its website, which you can access by clicking here. Community Board 5 held a committee meeting last week to review the draft scope of work and the board's recommendations. A recording of the discussion is available online here.

Written comments regarding the projects may be submitted via email or mail to:

Kristen Buckley

New York State Gaming Commission

354 Broadway

P.O. Box 7500

Schenectady, New York 12301-7500

[email protected]

As required by law, potential commercial casino applicants must:

• Complete all entitlements – including the environmental review mandated by the State/City Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR); and
• Obtain the approval of two-thirds of the members of their respective Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which is tasked with determining whether there is adequate support for their proposed project.

Only those applicants that complete their entitlements and are approved by their CAC by September 30, 2025 will be considered and evaluated by the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board according to the statutorily established criteria.

I want to be very clear that I will not support the siting of a casino in my district or anywhere else in New York City. They can be incredibly addictive, exploit those least able to afford to lose their money, and redirect people's disposable income away from other activities and toward the owners of the gambling concerns. As they say: “The house always wins.”

Last year I held a Virtual Town Hall exploring the negative impacts of casinos in communities where they are sited. You can view a recording of that event by clicking here.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email or call my office at [email protected] or 212-490-9535.

Liz Krueger

State Senator