Mayor Eric Adams Vetoes Bill Blocking Bally's Casino Bid in NYC

NYC Mayor Eric Adams vetoes a City Council bill halting Bally's casino bid, allowing the company to move forward with its $4B casino project. Adams stated that the veto will "re-level the playing field" and give the Bronx a seat at the table. Bally's needs zoning approval to proceed with the project.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed a City Council bill that would have halted Bally Corp.'s plans to build a casino in the Bronx. The veto allows Bally's to proceed with its $4 billion project, which includes the creation of 15,000 union construction jobs and 4,000 permanent union jobs, along with over $625 million in community benefits [1].

The bill, which was passed by the City Council earlier this month, denied Bally's the necessary land use application for its proposed resort on its golf course at Ferry Point. The project faced opposition from local groups and officials due to concerns about traffic. Mayor Adams, however, argued that the Council's action denied the Bronx the opportunity to compete for a significant private investment [1].

In his veto message, Adams emphasized that his decision was not an endorsement of Bally's bid but rather an effort to "re-level the playing field" and give the Bronx a fair chance to compete for the casino license. He stated that the Council's action created an unfair advantage for other bidders and boroughs [1].

The Trump Organization, which sold Bally's the land for the project, stands to receive $115 million if the company is awarded a casino license. Bally's is one of eight bidders competing for three full-scale casino licenses that will be awarded by the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board. The board is expected to select the winning proposals by December 1 [1].

The vetoed bill now moves back to the City Council for a vote, which could potentially override Adams' veto. This development adds an element of uncertainty to the project's timeline and could potentially impact the company's plans and financial projections.

References:
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-30/mayor-adams-gives-bally-s-bronx-casino-plan-a-second-chance