Jay-Z wants the famous Caesars Palace Casino chain to build a prime location in New York's Times Square.
On Wednesday (July 23), the 25-time Grammy Award winner held a committee hearing for the project amongst representatives of Roc Nation, SL Green and Caesars Entertainment for the bid of three downstate casino licenses.
Around the 44-minute mark of the video below, Hov was introduced by Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, and said that their cross-borough partnership and business initiatives are what "New York really looks like."
Jay added that he "came up through sports and entertainment" and considered Times Square the "perfect place" for a new Caesars Palace. While the original hotel and casino is located in Paradise, Nevada, there are Caesars Entertainment destinations worldwide.
"I’m trying to reserve myself — it’s a very good idea," Jay continued. "Very good alignment for us to fulfill the promise of of Times Square."
The Roc Nation founder also went into detail about his company's strategy of "bringing culture to the NFL" through their live entertainment deal.
With SL Green and Caesars Entertainment, Roc Nation has reportedly entered a bid for the Times Square casino that foresees over $7 billion in taxes, $26.7 billion for local businesses, more than 3,000 construction jobs and over 3,800 permanent jobs.
The location would host a 992-room, five-star hotel with restaurants serving regional and worldwide culinary innovation, a wellness retreat, gaming, and the trendiest nightclubs and entertainment built out of a current office building at 1515 Broadway. If passed, the project is slated to open in four years.
Not everyone is happy with the proposed development, though. The Broadway community, along with residents and local businesses, rallied on Friday (July 25) in Father Duffy Square to oppose the casino plans.
Leading with "Broadway is not backing down" chants, the No Times Square Casino coalition, composed of various organizations and numerous community and neighborhood associations, believes a casino would significantly harm the cultural and residential fabric of Times Square.
"This casino’s developers don’t care about improving this neighborhood," Jason Laks, President of The Broadway League, said of the plans (via Broadway World). "They are looking to profit on the backs of residents, local businesses, and the theater workers, producers, and owners who have brought us back from the pandemic.
"SL Green and Caesars can continue to promise millions of dollars to buy a veneer of support, but the residents and workers of this neighborhood see through it. These are massive corporations with virtually unlimited resources. But Broadway represents creative vitality and is the beating cultural heart of this city, something fundamentally different from what a casino represents."
Laks added: "The over 14 million attendees we had on Broadway prove that we don’t need a casino to bring this neighborhood back. A casino in the heart of Times Square would only set this area back."
Responding to the concerns, Caesars Palace said in a statement: "Caesars Palace Times Square will deliver more than $250 million in community benefits to businesses in Times Square and the residents of Hell’s Kitchen, as well as 9,000 new good-paying union jobs for New Yorkers."
If its proposal is signed off, the casino has promised to host monthly job fairs exclusively for members of Actors' Equity Association and American Federation of Musicians Local 802 — two unions which represent Broadway actors and stage managers, and musicians, respectively, per Playbill.
ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas on October 25–26, 2025, with over 300 brands and live performances by Young Thug, YEAT & Friends, Peso Pluma, Central Cee, Ken Carson, and more. Get your tickets now.