Plans for an $8 billion casino and entertainment complex next to Citi Field are back in the spotlight. Mets owner Steve Cohen, working with Hard Rock International, is pushing forward with a bold vision: Metropolitan Park, a sprawling destination that would bring gambling, live music, hotels, and public green spaces to the area surrounding the stadium.
It’s one of several high-profile proposals vying for three downstate casino licenses expected to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission by the end of 2025. And while Cohen’s bid is ambitious in scale and heavily funded, it’s also facing political resistance, particularly from State Senator Jessica Ramos, who represents the majority of the district where the proposed site is located.
Ramos has made her position clear. She does not support a casino in her community, and she’s declined to introduce the legislation needed to change the zoning designation of the land, which is currently classified as parkland. Without that re-designation, the project can’t legally proceed. According to Ramos, her doorstep interactions with residents show that three-quarters of people disapprove of the proposed plan. She expresses concern about how a casino establishment will affect the area in the long term, particularly among impoverished families and elderly residents, while advocating for more parks and family-oriented infrastructure in the community.
Still, despite her objections, Ramos has admitted that she may not have the final say. “I don’t know if I have the power to block that legislation,” she said recently, acknowledging that the state legislature could move forward without her sponsorship.
In fact, that’s exactly what appears to be happening. Senator John Liu, whose district includes a smaller portion of the proposed site, has introduced the necessary enabling legislation in the Senate. Assemblywoman Larinda Hooks introduced a similar bill in the Assembly. The move signals that while Ramos remains publicly opposed, the proposal is far from stalled.
Cohen’s bidding initiative holds significance beyond the development of a typical casino facility for both those developing projects and gambling industry supporters along with its dedicated observers. The facility can function as a vital infrastructure base to support online gambling operations known as iGaming throughout New York.
Under current proposals, legislation would require online casino servers to be physically located inside licensed casinos. This means any new land-based venue, including Metropolitan Park, could also double as a base for digital gambling operations. In that context, the physical casino is just one part of a much larger business model that includes online platforms, mobile apps, and digital betting systems.
Physical casinos that develop connections with online gambling operations create important opportunities for iGaming affiliate marketers. The approval of new casino projects, including Cohen’s, along with their partnerships with online gambling operators, has the potential to stimulate numerous affiliate programs and financial possibilities. Affiliate marketing providers like Ghost Partners typically use the niche growth momentum to lay the foundations for even stronger development of casino and betting businesses, especially in the iGaming sphere.
It’s a side of the story that’s easy to overlook but central to understanding the scale of what’s at play. The U.S. iGaming market considers New York as a key opportunity since it represents one of the remaining significant unexplored regions, which is monitored attentively by both tech companies and affiliate networks, while media organizations observe potential future implementation.
Officials monitoring the industry also maintain detailed observation of the regulatory environment. Cohen, alongside other casino developers, has dedicated substantial funding to lobbying platforms while striving to control state gambling procedures concerning offline and web-based gaming activities. The people involved with iGaming continue to monitor these ongoing lobbying activities because they recognize that current rulemaking processes will determine industry operations throughout multiple years.
The situation in Queens remains difficult to understand. People who support the casino project claim Metropolitan Park will create jobs while stimulating local commerce and producing major tax revenue. Both supporters and opponents maintain concerns about elevated traffic congestion while expressing fears about gambling addiction alongside uncertainties about the availability of promised green space facilities for the community.
The enabling legislation was introduced by Senator Liu because his constituents showed stronger support, which differs from the negative response in Ramos’s district. The different reactions from surrounding communities demonstrate that borough residents hold strongly opposing views about the casin,o even when their districts are near one another.
For now, the matter rests with the broader state legislature. As Ramos has acknowledged, even her vocal opposition may not be enough to halt the process. And with the gaming commission’s decision on the three licenses still months away, the debate surrounding Cohen’s proposal and the broader implications for New York’s gambling future is far from over.
What’s clear is that the casino license race isn’t just about poker tables and slot machines anymore. It’s about digital infrastructure, legislative influence, and the rapidly evolving nature of how Americans engage with gambling, both in person and online. And whether or not Metropolitan Park moves ahead, the conversation it has sparked will help shape that future.
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