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By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh
The total amount officially spent in 2024 trying to influence the New York City government hit a record high of $138 million, per new data released. As reported by Crain’s NY, the lobbying spending was an all-time high for NYC, and it was led by developers seeking to get approved for the three new lucrative casino licenses set to be approved in NYC.
People and companies tapped and paid lobbyists roughly $138,387,171 in 2024, up at least $7 million compared to 2023. The numbers were disclosed March 1, in the annual lobbying report published by the City Clerk’s office. Among the hefty clients spending on lobbying is billionaire New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who is vying to build a casino near Citi Field. Cohen’s casino application needs special city and state approvals to change zoning to allow him to build on what is technically parkland, owned by him. Per the data, through an LLC known as Queens Future, his team paid a total of roughly $1.4 million to lobbyists, making him NYC’s top-spending client last year.
The LLC paid out the total amount to 14 different lobbying firms on its payroll — the biggest number of lobbyists tapped by any one client. The bulk of the funds were paid to two lobbyists— Tusk Strategies and Marcos Crespo. Cohen reportedly is also associated with a second LLC, named New Green Willets, which was separately ranked the eighth-highest spender, forking out about $508,000 to push the casino bid.
Per Crain’s, dozens of city officials were lobbied by Cohen’s LLCs, including executives in the Economic Development Corp., Parks Department and the mayor’s office, public records show. This Thursday, a City Council committee has been scheduled to hold a hearing to potentially advance the land-use changes Cohen would require in order to have a chance at getting a casino license.
So far, NYC officials have voiced little opposition to the plan. At the state level, however, state Sen. Jessica Ramos has refused to introduce a bill to permit so-called parkland alienation, which would allow the space to be developed.
Cohen wasn’t the only casino bidder spending big bucks to lobby the NYC government. In fact, six out of the 10 top-spending clients were casino bidders. Genting, the owner of Resorts World racetrack in Jamaica, Queens, was ranked the second biggest spender, in its bid to be approved to expand to full fledged casino tables. Genting spent a total of $990,000, tapping 3 lobbying firms. The third biggest spender was resort operator Bally’s, which spent $914,000 on total lobbying, as it pushed its proposal to open a 3.1 million-square-foot complex with casino and hotel at Bally’s Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx.
Per Crain’s, the Soloviev Group, which wants to open a casino on its 6.7 acres site on Manhattan’s East Side near the United Nations between 1st Ave and FDR Drive, ranked sixth on the clients list for lobbying. Nineth on the list was Thor Equities, which hopes to open a casino and hotel complex in Coney Island.
Other non-casino related big clients spending on lobbying included NYS Trial Lawyers Association, Charter Communications Operating LLC, RAI Services Company, Northwell Health, Westbeth Corp. Housing Development Fund and the UFT.
Kasirer LLC led the way in total compensation of about $17 million in 2024
