By Ericka O’Connell, Roosevelt Island Daily
Friends, if you’ve ever walked through Times Square and thought, “This is already too much,” you’re not alone. Now, imagine layering a full-scale casino into the heart of that chaos. That’s exactly what developers are pushing for and it’s why the No Times Square Casino coalition has stepped forward to fight back.
This isn’t just another development deal. It’s a turning point. If we allow a casino to plant itself in the middle of Times Square, we risk losing the soul of Broadway and the very character of our city.
Broadway at Risk
Broadway isn’t just entertainment. It’s history, art, and an economic engine that has carried New York through hard times, including the pandemic. A casino threatens to siphon audiences, dollars, and energy away from the theaters.
- Theaters rely on people spilling out after shows into restaurants, bars, and shops.
- Casinos are designed to do the opposite, keep visitors inside, isolated, feeding slot machines instead of supporting local jobs.
- That means fewer ticket buyers, fewer diners, and a slower recovery for the Broadway community we all treasure.
As the Broadway League has argued, Broadway is our cultural heartbeat. A casino would drown it out.
Times Square Is Already Overloaded
Let’s be honest, Times Square is hard enough to navigate now. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Delivery trucks clogging the streets. Costumed characters and vendors competing for attention.
Adding a casino would mean:
- 24/7 traffic surges with drop-offs, taxis, and buses flooding already gridlocked streets.
- Public safety risks as thousands of gamblers pour in at all hours.
- Quality of life decline for residents and workers who already struggle to make the neighborhood livable.
If you think Times Square feels overwhelming now, a casino will push it past the breaking point.
Casinos Don’t Deliver the Promise
Proponents love to dangle billions in projected revenue and community grants. But history tells us otherwise. Casinos outside of Las Vegas rarely live up to their hype. Instead of delivering new tourism, they mostly attract locals, people who might otherwise spend money in the neighborhood’s restaurants and theaters.
- Jobs promised often don’t materialize in sustainable numbers.
- Tax revenue falls short as the novelty wears off.
- Neighborhood culture erodes under the weight of an industry that thrives on keeping people indoors, isolated, and gambling.
Times Square is one of the few places left in America that doesn’t need a gimmick. Tourists already come here in droves. Why risk wrecking what works?
A Movement Worth Joining
The No Times Square Casino coalition made up of Broadway theaters, nonprofits, local businesses, and residents knows the stakes. They’ve already mobilized:
- Anti-casino pamphlets in Playbill programs.
- Messages across marquees lighting up the night.
- A clear reminder that this fight isn’t about a flashy development deal. It’s about the very identity of Times Square and Broadway.
Public hearings are happening now through the fall, and voices like ours matter. If we don’t speak up, big money will speak for us.
Why It Matters to All of Us
Even if you don’t live in Midtown, this fight is about what kind of city we want to be. Do we want Times Square to stay messy, alive, and authentically New York—even with its flaws? Or do we want it swallowed by slot machines and neon that has nothing to do with our history, our people, or our art?
I know where I stand. Broadway deserves better. New York deserves better.
Let them know how feel by sending a message here and support the cause!
A Different Kind of Bet
For years, Roosevelt Island did not behave like a system constrained by limits. Internally, the budget was often treated less as a boundary and more as a reservoir to be used.
