You might encounter stagehands going into practice, older New Yorkers introducing themselves to one another before lunch, or tourists from all over the world enjoying their New York moment as you stroll through Times Square. It’s a vibrant, communal hub for art and people. That liveliness is now under jeopardy due to a plan that is before state regulators: a large casino at 1515 Broadway.
Encore neighborhood Services, which has been helping older folks for almost 50 years, and the Entertainment Community Fund, which has been helping everyone on stage and behind the scenes on Broadway for 143 years, are two organizations that have been serving this neighborhood for decades as neighbors and leaders. We think that the very people we serve and the creative ecology that we depend on would suffer as a result of the proposed casino in Times Square.
Targeted marketing of free play vouchers and transportation timed to benefit checks is not harmless for older individuals on fixed incomes. According to AARP data, up to 10% of persons over 60 suffer from problem gambling, and being close to someone can exacerbate the condition. We saw elderly neighbors at Encore using every available dime to pay for food, rent, and prescription drugs.
We frequently receive increased requests for emergency food, assistance with eviction notifications, and mental health support when gaming losses mount. These situations would only worsen if there was a casino across the street.
The resurgence of Times Square wasn’t due to luck. It became safer, brighter, and more walkable over the course of three decades thanks to community investments in public space and the arts. A once-infamous avenue of immorality and decay has been transformed into a cherished community and the center of the performance arts worldwide. Progress would be undone if that were replaced with a company based on addictive behaviors.
Together, Times Square and Broadway generate over 90,000 jobs. Theaters occupy eateries, lodging facilities, and retail establishments, attracting patrons every day.
Casinos are designed to keep patrons indoors. This results in a diminished commercial district and lower income for nearby residents. More significantly, casinos divert focus away from the arts.
Broadway is a cultural icon and economic engine that has supported New York during times of crisis, like the pandemic and 9/11. Audiences congregating in common areas, such as late-night dining rooms or orchestra seats, are essential to its vibrancy. Anything that detracts from our stages erodes the very thing that makes New York such a creative hub.
One of the busiest pedestrian areas in the world is already Times Square. Every day, about 350,000 individuals move through our area. It would jam the arteries to add a 24-hour casino with rideshares, bus traffic, and tour fleets. Overcrowding is not only annoying, but also dangerous for senior citizens who rely on safe crossings or mobility assistance. The casino would bring funds, according to supporters. But first, think about what it would remove.
We hear the justifications for economic growth, including the creation of new employment, museums, and safety funds. However, in other cities, the social and spatial costs persist and such goodwill hardly ever materializes. Grants cannot address every issue, particularly when it comes to people’s capacity to congregate, relocate, and feel safe.
A casino is not necessary for Times Square to prosper. Its future depends on enhancing what already sets it apart: the arts, the people who make them happen, and the locals who keep this community alive. This calls for improved services for senior citizens, safer and easier-to-access streets, and ongoing funding for Broadway and small businesses.
We can picture a Times Square where Encore’s senior writers tell their stories in public areas, where theater employees are aware that they can afford housing and medical care, and where tourists from all over the world come to participate in a community that is thriving with creativity and camaraderie rather than to gamble.
A better path forward is available. The No Times Square Casino Coalition is made up of 35 organizations, including small businesses, unions, nonprofits, and local residents. The Community Advisory Committee should reject this idea and pay attention to their opinions. Instead of a cultural corridor designed for people, not slot machines, the state Gaming Board ought to prioritize license locations that are already set up for high traffic, such as Yonkers or Aqueduct.
The people who live here and use art to express themselves own this crossroads. One can attend Encore’s writing group there one afternoon and then see a Broadway production the next. The success of Times Square’s rebirth can be attributed to this harmony between inventiveness and care. We shouldn’t risk losing it.
Kaplan is Encore Community Services’ executive director. Benincasa is the Entertainment Community Fund’s CEO and president.
