NYC lobbyists hit $131M jackpot as they push for casinos, pro soccer field

New York lobbyists have hit the jackpot alongside a push to open casinos in the Big Apple — raking in bundles as they try to woo Mayor Eric Adams and council members, a new city report reveals.

Compensation for lobbyists shot up 8% last year — up from $121.15 million in 2022 to $130.96 million, according to the annual study prepared by the City Clerk’s Office, which regulates the lobbying industry.

Entities tied to Mets billionaire owner Steve Cohen and Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment led the charge — spending more than $2 million combined on a stable of lobbyists last year as they unveiled a sprawling $8 billion casino, hotel and music venue dubbed “Metropolitan Park” of vacant lots next to CitiField.

The Cohen companies — New Green Willets and Queens Future — spent $946,809 and $450,000 respectively, or nearly $1.4 million combined, according to the report.

His firms retained seven different lobbying outfits including:

• former Bronx Democratic Party chairman Marco Crespo;
• former Queens Councilman Julissa Ferrera-Copeland/Hollis Public Affairs;
• the Mirram Group, headed by former Bronx Democratic leader Roberto Ramirez and Luis Miranda — the father of playwright Lin Manuel-Miranda;
• Moonwalk Strategies, co-founded by Jenny Sedlis, who previously ran a pro-Eric Adams Super Pac and pro-charter school group, and the Tusk Group headed Bradley Tusk, who worked for former Mayor Mike Bloomberg. 

Seminole Hard Rock, Cohen’s gaming partner, spent $660,000 on lobbying for the project — with $540,000 going to the lobbyists with the firm Actum Ca Opc and Green Book Strategies, run by husband-wife duo, Austin and Jennifer Shafran.

Meanwhile in a project next door to Cohen’s proposed project, CFG Stadium Group spent $540,000 to win approval to build the Big Apple’s first ever soccer stadium in Willets Point for the York City Football Club. 

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards joked that he’s become popular given the lobbying on economic development projection in Queens, particularly at Willets Point with the casino proposal and soccer stadium deal.

“I certainly have no shortage of meetings,” Richards said, while crediting the lobbyists for both projects for take community needs into account.

Other casino firms are lobbying putting chips on the table too. Wynn Resorts, angling to open a casino in Hudson Yards, spent $314,000 on lobbying, according to the data.

MGM Resorts, which is seeking to convert its slots parlor at Yonkers Raceway into a full casino with table games, spent $300,000 on lobbying as did Genting Resorts World at Aqueduct, also seeking to offer table games as well as slots.

Bally’s — which took over the Trump Organization’s Ferry Point golf course in The Bronx and is eying a casino on the grounds — paid $285,000 in retainersm tge data show. Caesar’s Palace, pushing to open a casino in Times Square, paid $185,000 in lobbying fees, according to the report.

The group backed by real estate interests — Homeowners for an Affordable New York — gave the largest single retainer to a lobbyist — $1.143 million to Fontas Advisors, headed by George Fontas, according to the data. The group’s funders include the Real Estate Board of NY and Rent Stabilization Association.

Fontas lobbied the mayor’s office to oppose state legislation that would make it harder for landlords to evict tenants “without good cause”, according to lobbying records.

The real estate industry accounted for one-third of lobbying spending last year — by far the largest of any sector, the figures show.

The highest compensated lobbyist for the seventh consecutive year was Suri Kasirer’s firm, Kasirer LLC, with $16.8 million, according to the data.

Kasirer’s client Stony Brook University won the competitive city bid to run the $700 milion “New York Climate Exchange” lab on Governors Island, which she considered one of the year’s highlights.

Among the other top lobbying ventures, according to the figures:

• Cable giant Charter Communications — which owns Spectrum and local news channel NY1 — spent $775,000 on lobbying to track issues such as broadband access.
• The NYS Trial Lawyers spent $714,876.
• MSG Entertainment spent $594,742 as it secured a 5-year extension of its special permit to operate Madison Square at Penn Station.
• Vornado Realty spent $544,557 while redeveloping Pier 94 on the West Side into a film and TV studio campus.
• RAI Service Company/Reynolds American tobacco company spent $527,835 as it successfully fought to block legislation to ban menthol cigarettes.
• Northwell Health spent $512,109 while seeking to modernize  and expand its Lenox Hill hospital on Manhattan’s East Side.