Caesars Palace Casino Denied Approval to Open in Times Square After Final Vote

The bid for a casino to open in Times Square has been denied after a final vote this morning. A community advisory committee denied the plan after a 4-2 vote. A two-thirds majority vote was required for the proposal to advance to consideration by New York State for one of three downstate casino licenses.

A Tulchin Research poll revealed that 67% of voters in the surrounding neighborhood had opposed a Times Square casino, and 64% would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supports the casino.

In response to the vote, Jason Laks, President of The Broadway League and member of the No Times Square Casino Coalition, issued the following 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."

BroadwayWorld previously reported on the final hearing on a proposed Times Square casino last Thursday, where the marquees of 14 Broadway theaters, including the Majestic, Palace, Samuel J. Friedman, and the St. James lit up with “NO Crime, NO Chaos, NO Casino” and “No Times Square Casino” message.

The case against the casino was led by No Times Square Casino Coalition, a grassroots campaign that grew to more than 35 organizations, including IATSE—the largest union on Broadway representing 7 locals and 168,000 workers across North America—the United Federation of Teachers, social service providers like the Ali Forney Center and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, as well as resident groups like the Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association and Westside Neighborhood Alliance.