During his State of the State address, Governor Cuomo unveiled a bold plan to build America's biggest convention center out in Jamaica Queens, and tear down the Javits Center, making way for more commercial and residential development by the Hudson River. Cuomo and others believe the Javits Center is too small and too old to remain competitive in a tight convention market, and it would be better to tear it down and lease the land to developers. Too bad taxpayers are shelling out a big chunk of the $463 million currently being spent to renovate and expand the place. more ›

Governor Andrew Cuomo gave his State of the State today, vowing to make 2012 the year "we must transform our government to once again become the progressive capital of our nation." He proposed a $1 billion economic development package for Buffalo, which has the third-highest poverty rate in the country, abolishing the state's requirements for fingerprinting food stamp recipients, deemed himself the "student's lobbyist," and pitched a slew of environmental and energy improvements. But Cuomo was also mum about transportation, spoke glowingly of legalizing gambling, declined to read his brief remarks on hydraulic fracturing, and announced an ambitious plan to build the world's largest convention center at the Aquaduct Racetrack. more ›

The opening of the new "Racino" at Aqueduct was such a smashing success that police reinforcements had to be called in to control the opening day crowds, who waited on line over three hours on Friday afternoon to get at those sad hot slots and WIN BIG. So now that gambling lobbyists have successfully brought the Resorts World electronic gaming temple to the Queens Aqueduct Racetrack, they're doubling down to add live table games to the mix. Soon enough happy gamblers will be lining up to "shoot the pasties off the nipples of a ten-foot bull-dyke and win a cotton-candy goat," just like in Vegas! more ›

Could a little bit of Sin City be heading to New York? Or will we hear refrains of "Drill, baby, drill?" more ›

Now that unemployment and poverty rates are sky high, why not open a few casinos? The Post reports that both parties agree: legalized gambling should happen. It'll give people a chance to discover a new rock-bottom get back on their feet, inject some cash into the state's austere budget, and finally allow us to knock Native Americans out of the one position of power that they currently hold. Everybody wins! more ›

Under the threat of Hurricane Irene, Atlantic City casinos have shut down for the third time in history, really pissing off that crowded tour bus full of exhausted-looking people and your uncle Lonny, who was due for a big score at the Pai-Gow table. All 11 casinos in town were closed by the governor's order, and hotel guests were only permitted to stay if they had no means of evacuating. more ›

After passing a bill (back in April) forcing casino gaming floors in Atlantic City to go smoke-free earlier starting October 15, the Atlantic City City Council voted 5-4 to delay the ban. Why? The Press of Atlantic City reports the five members wanted "to help ease a decline in casino revenue, a move industry executives say could prevent further employee layoffs." However, one person yelled, "You gave us a death sentence!" and some union members heckled a union leader who supported the delay. And one man who worked at the Tropicana for 26 years before being laid off last year and blames his lung cancer on secondhand smoke from the job said, "It will never be a good time for (the casinos). It will come back next year and it will be the same story." more ›

A Queens native who once made $500,000 as a New York City lawyer is now suing a number of Atlantic City casinos for $20 million, claiming they didn't notice her gambling addiction. Arelia Margarita Taveras owes $1 million from her gambling losses, but thinks the casinos enabled her. more ›