Couldn’t build a casino on parkland
Bally’s has successfully deleted a major obstacle in its quest to earn one of the three downstate New York casino licenses expected to be awarded this year. Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation that allows the parkland on which Bally’s plans to build a casino resort to be rezoned for said casino development.
“We are very thankful that we will have the opportunity to continue to engage Bronx community, elected and small business leaders to talk about our vision for the largest economic development project in the history of the Bronx,” said Bally’s chairman Soo Kim.
The Bronx site is the former home of Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, for which Bally’s bought the lease from the Trump Organization in 2023 for $60 million. That’s just a lease, though. The golf course is on public land, which had to be “alienated” to remove the parkland designation.
One of the key moments for Bally’s came last week, when New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his support for the land’s reclassification ahead of a City Council vote. Normally, the redesignation measure would have needed 34 votes from the City Council to pass, but with the mayor’s official thumbs-up, that threshold was reduced to 26 votes. The Council ended up passing it by a 32-12 vote.
Mayoral shenanigans?
The land redesignation is not without controversy. Part of Bally’s deal to acquire the golf course lease included a clause that would give Donald Trump $115 million should the company be awarded one of the casino licenses.
Mayor Adams, a Democrat, has been extremely unpopular in the heavily Democratic city. In September of last year, he was indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations, pleading not guilty. Many Democratic politicians called for his resignation.
President Donald Trump to the rescue. The Department of Justice told federal prosecutors to drop the charges against Adams. The US Attorney heading the case, Danielle Sassoon, refused and eventually resigned, accusing the Trump administration of being in cahoots with Adams on her way out. Several other officials resigned before the case was eventually dismissed in April 2025 by Judge Dale Ho.
Many, including Judge Ho, believe Adams made some sort of deal with Trump, the dismissal of the case in exchange for immigration concessions. The mayor’s latest support for Bally’s has raised eyebrows once again, as it presents a possible windfall for the sitting president.
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