Jay-Z Meets With NY Senate, Stoking Casino Hopes

Jay-Z’s hope is to open a Caesar’s Palace casino in Times Square, with Caesars Entertainment and SL Green Realty. He explained his plans for the project in an open letter back in 2023. “We are New Yorkers. Supporting and providing opportunities for our neighborhoods and community isn’t just a part of Roc Nation’s ethos . . . It’s our collective responsibility,” the rapper said in the statement. “Any proposal that wins a gaming license will undoubtedly profit. Our vision is to give back to New York and ensure that the Broadway community, Hell’s Kitchen, and the surrounding businesses and areas all benefit. And not just for a minute, but for the long-term.”

Last fall, Roc Nation proposed a reported $450 million in grants for the communities in Hell’s Kitchen and surrounding areas if they were successfully granted approval on their bid. According to The Robb Report, the first $15 million would go to the community, with regular grants based on 0.5% of the casino’s performance to be doled out. A local trust would be responsible for administering the funds to those in need and for infrastructure improvements in Hell’s Kitchen and the Times Square area.

If successful, Jay-Z would become the second Black owner of a casino in the United States – the first was Don Barden, who in 2002 acquired three Fitzgeralds casinos in the Las Vegas area for $149 million. Currently, the Genting Group owns and operates the Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. New York State is set to award three gaming licenses this year, and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris has already backed an $8 billion casino proposal for the Metropolitan Park complex proposed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen.