Las Vegas Sands gets local approval for casino at Nassau Coliseum site on New York’s Long Island

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) is among 11 bidders vying for three downstate New York casino licences to be awarded next year. The company needs local and county approval in order for its bid to move forward. The committee also approved a state-mandated environmental review.

In 2022, Nassau County leased the Coliseum land to LVS for 99 years. However, Hofstra University challenged the lease in court. At that time a judge held it was invalid because there was no environmental impact study before the lease was granted.

The rules committee approved the lease at a packed meeting on Monday (22 July). But residents and local neighbours, including Hofstra, opposed the casino idea.

One resident: Idea is just “bad“

Under the lease, LVS would be required to keep the Nassau Coliseum open for a minimum of two years. However, it allows the company to keep control over the property for a total of 42 years. The site is the former home of the NHL’s New York Islanders and current home of the NBA’s minor-league Long Island Nets. 

Some residents complained that this plan would prevent further development at the site.

“You already know how bad it is: bad for people, bad for families, bad for communities, bad for small businesses, bad for our property values and bad for our county economy,” Garden City resident Monica Kiely said at the meeting, per the Long Island Press. 

“Tying up this property for 42 years means that you can’t put a good project there. And that’s what the operational lease is all about – 42 years of control. It’s not about saving Coliseum workers’ jobs. Right in the lease, it says they can close it down in two years.”

Las Vegas Sands has pledged to keep about 400 people working at the site, which has led to support from labour unions.

Hofstra officials worried about addiction, crime, pollution

Hofstra University officials remain strongly opposed to the project, which they say is too close to the school.

“A casino would pose an enormous risk to the public and to the over 30,000 students who go to school at Hofstra and other schools within the block of the hub,” Terry Coniglio, a spokeswoman for Hofstra University, said at the meeting, according to WSHU Public Radio. “These risks include gambling addiction, crime, pollution and traffic congestion.”

The proposed Sands New York would be a $4bn integrated casino resort on 72 acres at the location. In addition to the casino, the project would include outdoor community spaces and four- and five-star hotel rooms. Las Vegas Sands is also promising a world-class live performance venue honouring the legacy of live music at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.