Details of the proposal will be forthcoming and enter the public review process before the end of the year. Kathy Hochul wants to end that moratorium this year, allowing up to three casinos to open downstate. This citywide casino zoning proposal will be put forward as its own initiative to undergo public review, including required approval by the City Planning Commission, advisory review by all affected borough presidents and community boards, and approval by the City Council. New York state has a ban on new casinos until 2023, but Gov. The state process includes the required approval of each application by a separate six-person Community Advisory Committee, which includes local elected officials. To ensure New York City applicants are not at a competitive disadvantage, the Department of City Planning and City Council will consider a standalone citywide zoning change that allows them to be judged within the guidelines of the state’s statutory process for considering casino license proposals. “Casinos have the potential to bring jobs and economic opportunities to New Yorkers, but applicants within New York City are at a disadvantage today because the city does not currently have a mechanism in our land use regulations to properly review casino siting. Joint Statement from Speaker Adrienne Adams and Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick on Conditional Citywide Text Amendment on Casinos