Broadway theater owners attempt to blockade a Caesars casino in Times Square
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A new coalition is gaining traction in its opposition to a proposed casino in the heart of Times Square, according to a report by The New York Times.
SL Green Realty Corp. and Caesars Entertainment in October announced a partnership to redevelop 1515 Broadway as a casino in the heart of Times Square, pending approval by state and local officials. Later last year, Roc Nation, an entertainment agency founded by JAY extension-Z, announced that it would be the “official entertainment partner” of SL Green and Caesars Entertainment in their bid for a casino in Times Square.
The coalition, called No Times Square Casino, is led by the Broadway League, the trade association representing Broadway theater owners and operators, producers, emcees and general managers.
“Times Square is already the busiest crossroads in the Western Hemisphere,” the coalition said. “A casino would bring thousands of stops, deliveries and taxi loads which would further dent traffic and make Times Square less safe, less livable and less friendly to pedestrians and the families who drive the area’s economy. Research shows that aside from Las Vegas, casinos are not significantly driving new tourism. Instead, they act as magnets for local gamblers and prey on vulnerable populations.”
A Times Square casino would bring economic and social disruption, not development, the group said. He added that a casino would detract from the homey feel of the place.
A potential Times Square casino would be one of three possible casinos near or in the nation’s most populous city. State in 2022 approved down state casinos.
“After a long recovery from the pandemic, visitors are rediscovering the allure of theater and returning to the restaurants around Times Square,” the group continued. “Casinos are built to keep visitors inside their doors as long as possible, frequenting their restaurants, shops and entertainment venues.”
According to the group, there are over 90,000 jobs supported by local businesses that a casino could negatively impact.
“The economic benefits of casinos diminish over time with fewer customers and declining tax revenues, especially in densely populated cities. Conversely, the Broadway theaters and restaurants that a Times Square casino would disrupt have been shown to grow jobs and the city’s economy decade after decade.
There is no timeline yet for when a casino decision will be made.
