Times Square Casino Proposal Rejected by Community Committee

The proposed project was a joint bid by Caesars Entertainment, SL Green, and Roc Nation to build a casino at 1515 Broadway, the same building that houses Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre — home to the long-running production of The Lion King.

“This was a vote to protect the magic of Broadway for the 100,000 New Yorkers who depend on it for their livelihoods, and for the tens of millions who come from around the world to experience it,” said Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, in a statement. The Broadway League, the industry’s national trade association, was a leading member of the No Times Square Casino Coalition, which spearheaded opposition to the project.

“A casino can go anywhere, but Broadway only lives here,” Laks added, thanking the committee members and local elected officials — including state senator Liz Krueger, assembly member Tony Simone, Manhattan borough president Mark Levine, and council member Erik Bottcher — for standing with the neighborhood and theater community.

The fight over a potential Times Square casino dates back to 2013, when New York State amended its constitution to allow up to seven commercial casinos. Four casinos were eventually built, and in 2023, the New York Gaming Facility Board opened the application process for the remaining three licenses.

Since the Times Square casino proposal was announced, opposition grew rapidly. The No Times Square Casino Coalition swelled to include 35 community groups, among them the Entertainment Community Fund, the New York theater locals of IATSE, the Shubert Organization, and the United Federation of Teachers. The coalition organized rallies, public campaigns, and even used Broadway marquees to broadcast their message.

Research conducted by Tulchin Research in April 2024 and again in September 2025 showed strong opposition among local voters — 67% opposed the casino compared to 24% who supported it.

The Community Advisory Committee, formed earlier in 2025, consisted of Chris Carroll, Richard Gottfried, Matthew Tighe, Carl Wilson, and two additional members appointed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul. After holding public hearings on August 13 and September 11, the committee voted on September 17. Carroll, Gottfried, Tighe, and Wilson voted to reject the proposal, while the mayoral and gubernatorial appointees voted in favor.