The Nassau County Legislature will hold a public hearing on Las Vegas Sands’ proposed multibillion-dollar Long Island casino resort next week. On Monday, Dec. 9, backers and opponents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions at the meeting in Mineola, New York.
The hearing comes just weeks after Sands submitted its environmental report to the legislature. The six-foot-tall, 28,000-page draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), which addresses issues surrounding Sand’s casino proposal, is now available on the legislature’s website.
As reported by Long Island Business News, outside of the hearing, interested parties have until the end of the day on Jan. 6 to submit related comments.
Report Offers Mitigations for Expected Casino Impacts
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB)—with an office in the Long Island community of Hauppauge—prepared the DEIS for Sands. The comprehensive report includes plans for more than $150 million in investments to mitigate the proposed casino’s impacts by improving existing infrastructure in surrounding communities.
Among those plans are a new water well, an electric substation expansion, and beautification efforts for Uniondale, plus perks for other nearby communities.
According to the report, Uniondale’s new well will provide two million gallons of water daily, offering residents a long-term, reliable, and sustainable benefit. However, the report adds, “If significant additional users are identified, cost-sharing may be employed.”
To offset fears of a rise in problem gambling, Sands has earmarked hundreds of millions in funding for local communities. This commitment, the report argues, furthers state objectives of supporting tax-supported entities, gambling treatment services, and “other community needs.”
Further, Sands has arranged partnerships with Long Island not-for-profits and educational service providers. These relationships, it says, help meet the Gaming Facility Location Board’s (GFLB) stated gambling treatment services and livable wage goals.
In the former case, Sands has committed $200,000 to establish new gambling treatment centers in Hempstead and Hicksville.
The casino operator partnered with Nassau Community College (NCC) and Long Island University (LIU) to address livable wages. The intention is to create a hospitality program to prepare students for well-paid casino-related career opportunities.
Local partners also include the AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
Plus:
- United Way
- Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce
- Long Island Federation of Labor
- NAACP New York State Conference
- Long Island Association
Sands Highlights Boost to Taxes and Jobs
Sands anticipates that once in operation, its proposed 400,000-square-foot Nassau casino resort would generate about $563 million in annual gaming taxes. The operator calculates that $217 million would fund local schools, and $213 million would support the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
Further, Sands suggests annual payments of $54 million would go to the Town of Hempstead and $52 million to Nassau County. Suffolk County would earn $27 million from related tax revenues.
In addition to the casino, the resort would feature several dining establishments, lodging, a convention center, and retail offerings. Sands expects these will add approximately 13,000 jobs to the local economy.
Opposition to Casino Proposal Remains
Despite the DEIS’ predominantly positive assessment of Sands’ plans, opposition to the project—from groups including Say No to the Casino and Hofstra University—remains strong.
In a written statement released on Nov. 22, Say No urged officials to reject the “preposterous” plan.
Predatory gambling companies like Las Vegas Sands (LVS) have mastered the ‘bait and switch’ art of manipulation for profit. In the environmental report released yesterday, LVS revealed in great detail how they will co-opt, exploit, and abuse our resources and infrastructure in cynical, unabashed service to their bottom line. We cannot let stand the false premise that this massive casino will be safe for our environment and beneficial to our economy and society. This project will produce economic harm, environmental harm, and egregious societal harm that will last for generations. We urge our elected officials to save our suburbs and put a stop to this preposterous proposal.
Similarly, in an open letter from 2023, Hofstra trustees described the University’s Nassau neighborhood as “an entirely inappropriate location for a casino.”
They argued that there are much more appropriate locations for a casino.
It is surrounded by educational institutions from preschool through graduate school, and a diversity of suburban communities that should not be exposed to the increased traffic congestion, crime, economic harm to local businesses, and other negative impacts that a casino development would likely bring. There are other locations in and around New York City to site a casino that are not in such proximity to multiple educational institutions where so many young people live and learn.
Report Marks Milestone, But Efforts Far From Over
Should the Nassau legislature approve the DEIS, it would mark a significant milestone on Sands’ path toward a New York casino license—but not the end.
While Sands holds the lease to the proposed casino’s Coliseum location, several reviews are necessary before the project can proceed.
Further, given recent discussions around legalizing New York online casinos, some have questioned Sands’ commitment to follow through with the proposal.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. has long opposed online casino regulation, first under CEO and chairman Sheldon Adelson. And, despite his 2021 death, Sands’ resistance to online gambling has continued. The possibility of New York eventually legalizing online casinos could be a sticking point for Sands’ New York efforts. If so, Sands could exercise its option to end its lease with the Coliseum.
However, even if Sands stays the course and follows through with its proposal, it will be one of several companies vying for a total of three downstate casino licenses.
While approval from local officials would undoubtedly bolster its chance of success, community buy-in alone cannot guarantee Sands a New York casino license.
About the Author
