Cornelius

What is Cornelius?

During the lawmaking process, Full House’s exclusivity was stripped in favor of welcoming any company currently licensed as a commercial casino in the US to bid on the possible license. Lawmakers also threw in a one-time $150 million fee for the concession and a mandatory investment minimum of $500 million, all but ending Full House’s interest.

“The bill changed many times. We make money in Rising Sun. We always have, not a lot of money, but we make money. We continue to make money in Rising Sun. And we will continue to do that for our shareholders, as well as for the good of the state,” Full House CEO Daniel Lee said in March.

If any county approves its local casino referendum, the county government would be required to conduct a request for proposals and submit a winning project to the IGC.

What is Cornelius?

The PUC ordered the utility to continue supplying electricity to the casino provided the solar system remains behind the meter—meaning it does not export power onto the wider grid.

“What you’re doing is wrong,” Commissioner Audrey Partridge told the cooperative during Thursday’s hearing, according to news reports. “I think you have lost your tether to the purpose of an electric utility.”

The decision follows a long-running battle over the multimillion-dollar solar project, which the Upper Sioux Community began developing in 2024 to curb electricity costs and advance its clean-energy goals.

About Cornelius

The redevelopment was financed by a $455 million loan from New York State, approved in 2023. State officials have projected the project will generate $155 million in annual economic activity once fully operational, along with around $10 million annually in state and local tax revenue.

The redesigned complex features four distinct racing surfaces: a 1½-mile dirt track, two turf courses, and a one-mile Tapeta synthetic track.

The Tapeta surface will be used exclusively for winter racing, allowing Belmont to take over Aqueduct’s former winter schedule as NYRA consolidates its operations at Belmont and Saratoga.