Nassau OTB seeks firm to aid in picking mini-casino location

Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting wants to hire a firm to study locations the agency is considering for a mini-casino with 1,000 video slot machines and electronic table games.

Nassau OTB will release a Request for Statements of Qualifications on Monday seeking a firm with architectural and engineering experience that can analyze a handful of locations under consideration for the gaming parlor.

The firm will examine the condition of the buildings; any costs to fix electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning and sewer systems; and whether there is sufficient parking.

The cost to build a large bar in the center of the gaming parlor will also be calculated, Nassau OTB president Joe Cairo said.

"We are looking at several sites, so we need someone with expertise and background in this field," Cairo said.

Bids are due July 14, and OTB expects to select a review firm quickly.

The agency is considering as many as five sites that OTB would purchase to build the county's first gaming parlor. Cairo declined to identify the sites but said a decision could come by the end of the month.

The proposed site must have at least 100,000 square feet of usable space, including 50,000 square feet on the ground floor.

Once a site is selected, OTB is considering issuing a Request for Proposals for a private operator to run the parlor, Cairo said. The agency could also choose to hire several experienced individuals to manage the facility, he said.

Cairo hopes to open the gaming parlor next year. Nassau expects the facility to generate $19 million in 2015.

The state last year granted Nassau and Suffolk counties authority to build one gaming site each with up to 1,000 video lottery terminals, which include slot machines and table games such as roulette, baccarat and blackjack.

Suffolk has selected Delaware North, a Buffalo-based gaming and hospitality company, to operate its casino, but has yet to select a site for its parlor.