American casino operator Hard Rock International has reportedly announced that it has identified three locations in New York City that could potentially serve as the site for a proposed Las Vegas-style development.

According to a Thursday report from the Associated Press news service, the firm owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida is already responsible for Manhattan’s popular Hard Rock Cafe New York enterprise and is planning to debut its nearby $400 million Hard Rock Hotel New York project from April. The operator also purportedly runs the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City facility while simultaneously holding a large stake in New Jersey’s Meadowlands Racetrack venue, which sits only about eight miles from the center of ‘The Big Apple.’

Reticent revelation:

Jim Allen (pictured) serves as the Chairman for Hard Rock International and he reportedly used a recent interview to disclose that his company wants to bring a $2 billion gambling-friendly facility to Manhattan and has already pinpointed a trio of possible locations. Although he purportedly refused to give any specific details on these three settings, he did note that the coming 446-room Hard Rock Hotel New York was not included on this list.

Allen reportedly stated…

“You have to have a footprint of real estate large enough to take advantage of the size of the market. We’re extremely proud of our hotel on 48th Street but its footprint is just not large enough for gaming.”

Achievable advance:

Hard Rock International is reportedly looking to take advantage of legislation passed in 2013 that is to see the New York State Gaming Commission allow for up to three ‘downstate’ casino resorts for the area around New York City. This endeavor could purportedly well see the slots-only Resorts World New York City from Genting Malaysia Berhad as well as MGM Resorts International’s similarly-limited Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway venues transformed into full-blown gambling palaces with a raft of other hopefuls battling out for the remaining third license.

Tentative timeline:

Allen reportedly told the Associated Press that he expects this licensing process to officially start in the summer and is now waiting ‘to see what language is in the bill as to geographic locations that would be acceptable to the state’ before picking an ultimate site for his firm’s proposed New York City development. The executive moreover went on to divulge that his company could still be open to bringing casino gambling to the nearby Meadowlands Racetrack facility even if it secures one of the coming New York licenses.

Reportedly read a statement from Allen…

“I’m not saying we would drop a Meadowlands Racetrack option and I think we have to look at all the different circumstances. There’s certainly the ability to have more than one product in a geographic area as we’ve done many times in our industry.”