The New York Gaming Facility Location Board is responsible for determining the locations of the three downstate casinos. Its chair admits she has never entered one. 

Since its establishment in 2014, the New York Gaming Facility Location Board has experienced significant turnover. The arrivals and departures have led to the board not being completely filled, as its request for applications (RFAs) ended today, June 27. 

According to the New York State Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering, and Breeding Law, amended in 2013 to permit four commercial casinos upstate and three downstate with slots and live dealer table game rights, the Gaming Facility Location Board shall comprise five members, including a designated chair. 

With eight proposals submitted before today’s RFA deadline, the Gaming Facility Location Board is one member short, and its chair confesses she isn’t a supporter of gambling. 

Qualifications for Gaming Facility Board 

While Bally’s Corp., Caesars Entertainment, the Chickasaw Nation, Genting Group, Hard Rock International, MGM Resorts, Mohegan, and Rush Street Gaming showcased their multibillion-dollar integrated resort casino proposals to obtain one of the three $500 million casino concessions, NY Gaming Facility Location Board Chair Vicki L. Been remarked to Bloomberg that casinos are “not where I prefer to invest my time.”

"Bloomberg added that Been said “she’s never been to a casino.” That poses the question, “Why is she among the handful of people who will decide where the three properties go?”

New York’s gaming authorization legislation mandates that members of the Gaming Facility Location Board must be state residents, possess at least 10 years of experience in financial affairs, and have “substantial expertise” in areas such as “accounting, finance, economics, commercial real estate, and/or as executives for major organizations.” 

Board members are also prohibited from holding elected positions, having a close association with an individual with a gaming license, or someone who has a direct financial stake or ownership in gaming operations. Board members are also prohibited from obtaining any income from gaming or associated consulting services. 

Been, appointed in October 2022, is the current longest-serving member of the Gaming Facility Location Board. She holds the position of Judge Edward Weinfeld Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, serves as an affiliated public policy professor at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and acts as a faculty director at NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. 

Been has been at NYU since 1990, concentrating her career on urban policy, land use, and housing issues. She held the position of deputy mayor of New York City for Housing and Economic Development under Mayor Bill de Blasio from April 2019 until December 2021. This might explain why multiple proposals incorporated affordable housing elements. 

The remaining members of the Gaming Facility Location Board include Terryl Brown, who was appointed just in February. Brown serves as the vice president and general counsel for Pace University. She formerly held the position of deputy commissioner for legal affairs and administration at the Fire Department of New York City. 

Board members Marion Phillips, III and Greg Reimers were designated just a month prior to Brown. 

Phillips holds the position of senior vice president for community development and DEI at U.S. News & World Report. He formerly held the position of senior vice president for community relations at Empire Development in New York State. 

Reimers is a former finance executive whose career in real estate banking featured positions at JPMorgan Chase and The Bank of New York. 

Fifth Member Unidentified 

The Gaming Commission of New York State is in charge of selecting the members of the Gaming Facility Location Board. While board members do not receive payment, they have the right to claim reimbursements for genuine and essential expenses. 

The timing of the NYS Gaming Commission's appointment of the fifth member remains uncertain, and this decision could be vital in preventing a deadlock when the Board selects the three winners later this year.