Nassau Hub Considered In New Casino Bid: Report

UNIONDALE, NY — New York state is in the process of opening applications to build three new casinos in the downstate area, and one company is looking at the Nassau Hub in Uniondale as a possible location.

According to Newsday, Las Vegas Sands Corp., one of the largest gambling businesses in the world, is looking to apply for the right to build a casino on Long Island, and was specifically looking at the Uniondale area, as well as other locations.

The Hub was suggested to Las Vegas Sands Corp. by former New York Gov. David Paterson, who is a senior vice president at the company.

Though New York is looking to add new casinos, it's not going to happen anytime soon. The state Gaming Commission appointed three people — including former Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz — to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board earlier this year. The board will be in charge of reviewing applications for casinos and recommending three facilities to get licenses.

However, the process is in the very early stages. The state said no determinations or licenses are expected until late 2023 at the earliest.

The other board members are Quenia A. Abreu, president and CEO of the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and Vicki L. Been, the Boxer Family Professor of Law at New York University School of Law.

Just getting approved for an license is a big task. Applicants have to pay a $1 million application fee to be considered. If they're approved, that is followed by a license fee of at least $500 million.

More information about the process to select sites for casinos can be found here.