The owner of Sardi’s says that a casino in Times Square would put the odds against the Theater District.

The owner of Sardi’s says that a casino in Times Square would put the odds against the Theater District.

Sardi’s is a Broadway staple in the Theater District of Manhattan. But Max Klimavicius, who owns the well-known restaurant, doesn’t want a casino to open in the area.

SL Green proposes to build a casino at 1515 Broadway in Times Square with Caesars Entertainment. Times Square, the “Crossroads of the World,” is in Midtown Manhattan. Theater District.

Klimavicius argues the Theater District doesn’t need a casino. He called Times Square gambling “a lost bet” in an editorial piece in today’s New York Daily News.

Klimavicius says COVID-19 “still haunts” him. The owner of the iconic Theater District restaurant since the 1990s claims theatergoers are returning after the pandemic.

Klimavicius believed a Times Square casino would affect numerous small companies, including eateries. Klimavicius feels these restaurants are essential to Broadway.

Families get excited before coming to the theater, dating start, and plays and musicals are discussed over dessert and drinks after the curtain lowers at these restaurants. Klimavicius noted, “Dinner and a performance” is a phrase most New Yorkers and visitors recognize.

Klimavicius said that a Times Square casino could harm the Theater District and its restaurants.

Casinos are self-sufficient.

Klimavicius says many Times Square casino supporters claim it will create jobs. The Sardi owner believed those jobs would be created whether the casino was built in Times Square or elsewhere.

“Most U.S. casinos aren’t in densely populated locations for good reasons” (and certainly not in an area as heavily populated as Times Square). Klimavicius noted that casinos are most beneficial in areas without competition.

He wrote that casinos are self-contained with stores and eateries to keep gamblers inside.

Every restaurant owner understands the chances are against them even when things are going well. However, as we recover from COVID-19, we don’t need to face a house with marked cards. “And that’s how thinking about a casino in Times Square feels,” Klimavicius said.

Benefits for the Economy and Safety

A Times Square casino would boost NYC’s economy, according to supporters. William Bratton, the former NYPD commissioner who advises SL Green/Caesars on its development, believes a casino may reduce violence in Times Square, which spiked during the pandemic.

The Coalition for a Better Times Square—theater employees, construction unions, hotels, and small businesses—supports the initiative.

New York legalized seven casinos in 2013. Four went upstate. The 2013 law allowed upstate casinos to operate without downstate competition. That ban ends this year.

Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Resorts World New York City in Queens are likely to receive two of the three downstate licenses. Racinos only allow video lottery terminals and electronic table games.