The Coney Island casino proposal collapsed in December, and with it the most ambitious gambling project ever floated for Brooklyn. Thor Equities, paired with Saratoga Casino Holdings, the Chickasaw Nation, and Legends, had pitched a 1.4 million square foot complex at the foot of the boardwalk. It was the borough's only bid among eight downstate applications, and the Gaming Facility Location Board passed it over for two Queens projects and a Bronx proposal from Bally's.
That leaves Brooklyn without any prospect of a brick-and-mortar casino for years, even as Albany debates whether to authorize online casino play statewide. The closest fully regulated online market sits one bus ride away in New Jersey. Anyone weighing that cross-river option will find the practical groundwork in GamingToday's expert analysis on casino comparison guidance, which sorts regulated operators state by state and explains how licensing actually works.
What the Coney decision changed
The Coney pitch was credible: local building-trades support, Thor's long development presence, and financing through Saratoga Casino Holdings. Its rejection in early December 2025 consolidated downstate brick-and-mortar gambling in Queens and the Bronx, outside Brooklyn, for the next decade. Residents who want regulated play now have three options: travel to Queens once the Aqueduct and Metropolitan Park projects open, cross to New Jersey, or wait for New York to legalize online casinos.
Why the online casino bill keeps stalling
State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr., who chairs the Senate gaming committee, has introduced online casino legislation for years. The current vehicle, S2614 with Assembly companion A6027, would authorize online slots, table games, live dealer games, poker, and internet lottery at a 30.5% tax rate, well below the 51% New York applies to sports betting. State analysis pegged the framework at roughly $475 million in annual tax revenue.
As of the 2026 session's close in June, the bill was not advancing. Addabbo said in May it would get no hearing or floor vote. Governor Hochul has not backed legalization, and the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council opposes it, arguing online play would cannibalize hospitality jobs. That combination has kept the bill in committee through three sessions, pushing the timeline to at least 2027. One wildcard for 2027 is the December 2025 sweepstakes ban, signed as S5935A and authored by Addabbo himself, which removed an unregulated dual-currency product he has called a prerequisite for the broader online casino debate. Brooklyn's own senators, Julia Salazar and Jabari Brisport, are not blocking the conversation; they have focused on directing gambling revenue toward education and community investment rather than racing subsidies.
The New Jersey reality across the river
The most relevant fact for Brooklyn residents is that New Jersey has run a fully regulated online casino market since November 2013. The Division of Gaming Enforcement reported $276.3 million in internet gaming revenue for May 2026, up 11.9% year over year, with $1.32 billion booked through May. After thirteen years, the market has settled into mature growth and is the benchmark other states cite.
Proximity is tangible: a Bay Ridge driver reaches Atlantic City in about two hours and fifteen minutes, and NJ Transit runs hourly buses from Port Authority at fares between $19 and $60. But the law is strict: a player must be physically inside New Jersey at the moment of the wager. A Brooklyn resident at home cannot legally bet with a New Jersey licensee, and offshore sites carry no consumer protection or recourse. Readers weighing the local politics can start with BK Reader's own case for legalizing online casinos in New York.
What 2022 showed, and what comes next
New York's online sports betting launch in January 2022 proved the demand, the geolocation technology, and operator appetite even at a 51% tax rate; the market cleared $1 billion in handle within sixteen days, and by the close of 2022 FanDuel led with about 40% of handle, DraftKings sat second, and Caesars third. The same operators would build the online casino market if Addabbo's bill clears, which means the remaining variables are political and labor-related, not technical.
The 2027 session begins in January, and Addabbo has signaled he will reintroduce the bill. Whether it moves depends on Hochul's posture, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council's position, and the pace of the Queens and Bronx builds. For the wider backdrop, the American Gaming Association's State of the States 2025 report documents how regulated online casino revenue has grown in states that already allow it.
Help is already here
Brooklyn residents do not have to wait for legislation to find support. The New York State HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369, or text HOPENY to 467369, is confidential and staffed around the clock, and the New York City Problem Gambling Resource Center at 31 W. 34th Street handles intake for Brooklyn and maintains a referral network of certified providers across the borough.
