Belmont Park has been officially chosen as the site for Nassau County's first video gaming facility, but it will be a long road before the casino can be constructed there.
Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting said Tuesday it made the decision to install the video lottery terminal there after "exhaustive study and review."
But opposition has greeted every other proposed site for a Nassau video gaming facility, and this time likely won't be any different. Neighbors and officials are again expected to lobby the county and state to install the casino at another site.
Residents in Belmont have resisted the proposal to install a VLT there, citing concerns over traffic and quality of life. And plans to put it in a former Westbury department store were quickly abandoned earlier this year after the community there spoke out.
But Nassau County desperately needs the $29 million a year a casino would generate. Without the money, programs might have to be cut, taxes raised or both.
Democrats on the county legislature say plans for a casino should be shuttered altogether.
"A casino that will lead to crime, pollution and transportation issues is not a right fit for any community," Democratic county legislator Carrie Solages previously said.
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"There are other ways that we can raise revenue rather than allow casinos to ruin and destroy the quality of life of a neighborhood," said Solages.
NROTB officials said they will work with the county and local community to ensure they reap the benefits of hosting a VLT.
"The addition of VLTs and other first-class amenities to existing gaming operations will enhance the entertainment experience for visitors to Belmont Park as well as producing revenue that will support vital public services that the county provides to its neediest residents," NROTB said in a press release Tuesday.
