There’s been a rumor going around the Theatre District for some time now that there may be a casino opening in Times Square. 

Late one afternoon I had stopped into one of my favorite watering holes to get out of the heat, and a couple of swells from one of the office towers over on Sixth were talking about this or that, and I heard them say to the bartender, “Hey what are you gonna do if they open a casino in Times Square?” 

“Guess I’ll become a blackjack dealer,” he said and that made me laugh to myself because it was kind of a stupid question to begin with if you think about it.

According to Politico, New York lawmakers have become increasingly antsy about all the revenue that is heading to Atlantic City and places like Foxwoods in Connecticut. Sure, there are already places for betting on the ponies like in Yonkers and Resorts World City in Queens, but it ain’t the same. The moratorium on gaming in New York State is set to end in 2023 and Govenor Hochul is ready to roll that back even earlier and open the door for bids from places like Bally’s and MGM Grand. (Odds are good that she’s running for reelection. How many gambling jokes can we work into this story? Let’s find out.)

Casino owners are already being very vocal in the press about what they would do and how they would do it. Billion-dollar dirty talk. At the local level, you can bet that each borough will make its case for being the place for the slots, the craps tables, and the ugliest carpeting in the world. (Why is that anyway?)

Rich Maroko, president of the New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council – which is one of the labor unions that are no doubt drooling over the whole thing is stumping to turn the Aqueduct Racetrack into a full-fledged casino.

But we’re talking about midtown, people. That’s where the action is. Eric Holliday CEO of SL Green Realty told the Wall Street Journal; “I think that the single best location for a license is Manhattan, and within Manhattan I feel the absolute best, most obvious, least impactful and most globally accepted area will be Times Square.”

Well ain’t that something?

It would be the path of least resistance for sure, though the outer boroughs no doubt are going to play that very card, (!) and say that Manhattan is already, well… Manhattan, and how about spreading it around a little, like to the Bronx and Queens. As Auntie Mame says, “Money is like manure, it only works if you spread it around.”  Never fear though, no less than three casino licenses are likely to be given to the city.

Some likely candidates… The Hard Rock Hotel on West 48th Street which just opened this year and which some old crust from the Post called “a slap in the face,” and “tacky,” which kind of makes me like it already. They probably have whole floors roped off for when that bill passes. Another location getting a lot of talk is somewhere over by the Hudson Yards where nothing seems to be working out anyway. At the end of the day it will be up to the bidders and the contractors to decide where they want to roll the dice. (Bam.) I for one, fully embrace New York City sliding down the rabbit hole of gambling. I am in Times Square often after one AM and I am here to tell you that the streets are packed with people who have nothing to do. They take movies of themselves spinning around which I assume is a Tik Tok thing. Sometimes there is a guy who parks a DeLorean on the corner of 44th Street for people to take pictures next to – for a price. People from the outer boroughs then appear in the souped-up car-looking-things with lights and loud stereos and rev their engines and drive around to the glee of the tourists.

But please, let’s not be tacky, hm? (I wonder if the DeLorean guy knows that Back to the Future – The Musical is opening later this year? He should hang in there – his best days are still ahead of him.)

The tax revenues would be like human growth hormone for our school systems, infrastructure, emergency services and mental health facilities that were understaffed and shut down during COVID which led to the crime and homeless problem that has turned the average subway ride into 12 Monkeys – the Musical.

Not to mention excellent jobs. And shows! Shows! Shows!

What have we got to lose New York? 

Don’t answer that.