Suffolk County Regional Off Track Betting (OTB) officials told the Town of Brookhaven that a location in Medford, Long Island, that has been long sought for a video lottery casino, remains “a viable option.”
Suffolk OTB would need to seek authorization from the New York State Legislature to open a Medford casino.
What officials actually want to build is another casino to house an additional 1,000 video lottery terminals at Jake’s 58 betting parlor. And if they can’t get approval from the Village of Islandia to expand, they might push for a Medford casino instead.
A Medford civics association has fought to prevent a new casino for years. However, the group did not participate in an online town meeting this month about the project.
Suffolk OTB is a public benefit corporation that turned over some of its profits to the county. The group declared bankruptcy in 2011.