Neighborhood Veto Boards Decide Casinos

New York’s licensing process gives each bid to a six‑member Community Advisory Committee (governor, mayor, borough president, local Assembly and Senate members, and City Council member) that must approve before a state license. Manhattan’s CACs unanimously rejected all three bids, showing the design functions as a local veto for controversial projects. — It illustrates how institutional design, not just economics, determines siting of 'nuisance' uses—and how local veto points can shift burdens to less powerful communities.