Poll Finds Strong Opposition to Times Square Casino Proposal

A new poll from an anti-casino coalition has found that the majority of voters living near Times Square in New York City are against a proposed resort that would be built in the popular tourist area.

The casino, which would be developed by Caesars, Roc Nation, and SL Green, was opposed by 71 percent of registered voters in or near Times Square, according to the survey.

Voters Cite Crime, Traffic Among Chief Casino Concerns

The poll, released on Thursday, comes from the No Times Square Casino Coalition. The group includes a variety of local businesses, community groups and nonprofits that are against the resort proposal, including the Broadway League of Theater owners.

Only 23 percent of those surveyed said they were in favor of a Times Square casino.

“Too often, people forget that in addition to being a major global destination, the Theater District and surrounding neighborhood are a real community,” Jeff Daniel, chief strategy officer for The Shubert Organization – part of the coalition who released the poll – said, via the New York Post. “The people living in this neighborhood overwhelmingly believe a casino would create massive problems, erode their quality of life, and set back the progress making this a safe, welcoming place for families.

The top concerns for voters surveyed included that the casino would make already congested traffic conditions worse (81 percent), that it would attract more crime to the neighborhood (80 percent), and that a casino would “make the area less pleasant for those who live and work there,” (80 percent).

While the source of the poll leaves the results open to interpretation, some numbers were particularly stark. The survey, which spoke to 400 registered voters in Times Square and surrounding neighborhoods between April 22 and 24, found that just nine percent thought Times Square was the best location for a New York casinos.

Advocates Using Polling to Shape Casino Narratives 

Opposition was particularly high amongst older residents, with 81 percent of those 55 or older opposing the Times Square casino. Mark Jennings, executive director of coalition member ProjectFIND, spoke to their specific concerns.

“As a nonprofit that serves seniors and other vulnerable people who live in this neighborhood, we’re worried,” Jennings told reporters. “Casinos can exploit and endanger communities like ours. In this poll, you’re seeing the voices of ordinary people reflected in this debate for the first time – and they don’t want a casino preying on their neighbors.”

The potential developers of the casino responded to the poll with a statement.

“Caesars Palace Times Square is an investment in New York, with deep support among residents, local businesses and the Broadway community,” SL Green, Caesars and Roc Nation said in the statement. “Alongside a new, world-class entertainment venue in Times Square, we’re prepared to make major investments in sanitation, safety, and traffic mitigation that will reinvigorate the Theater District and make it a place where New Yorkers and tourists again feel comfortable, safe, and the excitement that comes from being in the Greatest City in the World.”

The Times Square proposal will be competing with several other high-profile projects in and around New York City for up to three downstate casino licenses. The New York State Gambling Commission expects to award those licenses late next year.

Polling has become another battleground in the fight over individual projects, with both supporters and detractors of various proposals pointing to surveys – usually funded by themselves – to proport that the public is on their side.

For instance, after opponents of Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposal to build a Metropolitan Park casino complex on parking lots near Citi Field released a poll showing little support for the project, Cohen released his own survey, which appeared to show that locals were in favor of the development.

(Image: Jose Fusta Raga/Alamy)