The Massive Apple is about to roll the cube on playing, and plenty of billionaire traders wish to attempt their luck at successful the large prize.

Elected officers have lastly approved one on line casino license within the Massive Apple (that is proper—only one for a metropolis of 8 million individuals), inflicting an enormous and generally ugly bidding struggle between numerous rich suitors.

One get together is nonother than Jay-Z and his leisure firm Roc Nation. The entrepreneur well-known for saying, “I am not a businessman, I am a enterprise, man,” has teamed up with SL Inexperienced and Caesars Leisure to suggest constructing a Caesars Palace within the coronary heart of bustling Instances Sq..

In an open letter on Roc Nation’s Instagram and Twitter titled “It is Time, Instances Sq.,” the corporate made a case for why they need to be granted New York Metropolis’s playing golden ticket.

“The successful group will need to have a observe document of turning phrases into deeds — of placing New York Metropolis and its residents first — individuals of all races, religions, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and socio-economic statuses,” the assertion stated. “Our proposal lays out an revolutionary plan that won’t solely draw further vacationers to our metropolis however can even improve the lives of on a regular basis New Yorkers.”

Jay-Z’s plan guarantees to offer again to surrounding companies, profit mass transit, spend money on sanitation and safety, and “ship a much-needed transportation plan,” amongst different issues. “Our bid commits $115 million for numerous theater packages that embody daycare for Broadway staff and their households,” the letter stated.

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An all-out bidding struggle

New York voters authorised of Las Vegas-like casinos of their state in 2013. But it surely wasn’t till final yr that elected officers in Albany approved on line casino licenses for downstate New York, together with New York Metropolis, Lengthy Island, and Westchester County.

The prospect of opening a completely operational on line casino within the largest metropolis in America has billionaires salivating to grow to be the King of New York casinos. Apart from Jay-Z, different bidders embody New York Mets proprietor Steve Cohen, Gristedes grocery store scion John Catsimatidis, and Hudson Yards developer Stephen Ross.

“Each billionaire needs a on line casino. The epitome of success within the US is to personal your personal on line casino,” a supply advised The New York Submit.

Nonetheless, the billionaires have totally different concepts about the place they wish to construct their casinos. Cohen has teamed up with Arduous Rock and desires to open a on line casino round Citi Area in Queens, the place the Mets play. Catsimatidis is eyeing Coney Island, well-known for its boardwalk, amusement park, and scorching canine consuming contest. Ross, who has partnered with Wynn, needs to place the on line casino within the newly developed Hudson Yards.

Accusations of a ‘misinformation’ marketing campaign

The Roc Nation letter, which additionally appeared in adverts within the New York Submit, New York Day by day Information, and Amsterdam Information, accused some “conflicted events” of spreading “misinformation,” claiming they’d written the letter to set the document straight.

Whereas Roc Nation didn’t title names, some consider they could be referring to a coalition of Broadway theater homeowners and producers, the midtown Manhattan group, and tenant organizations calling themselves No Instances Sq. On line casino.

Based on an article in Deadline, the coalition opposes constructing a Caesars Palace in Instances Sq., additionally dwelling to most Broadway theaters, citing visitors congestion, financial disruption, and making the realm “much less welcoming to households.”