Bally’s Name Officially Adorns Former Trump Golf Course in Bronx

Posted on: January 14, 2024, 05:00h. 

Last updated on: January 15, 2024, 12:18h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

The golf course in the Bronx, N.Y. that formerly bore the Trump name is now officially “Bally Links,” named for the regional casino operator.

Bally's Bronx
Bally’s Links in the Bronx, NY. The golf course officially dropped the Trump name Thursday. (Image: NY1)

The change occurred Thursday and with that, the large sign that previously read “Trump Links” is no longer. Bally’s paid the Trump Organization — the former president’s business empire — $60 million to acquire the lease on Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx. That’s according to testimony in November given in a New York court by his son, Donald Trump Jr.

Bally’s made good on its promise to pull the Trump name from the golf property, and the sign removal was the last step in that process. Underscoring New York’s political leanings and the city’s disdain for the 45th president, Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY) was among the dignitaries that attended the rebranding at the golf course. The city previously attempted to move Trump out of Ferry Point Links, though that effort proved unsuccessful.

The city and the Trump Organization reached a deal in 2015 to extend that lease by 20 years. In 2021, former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, attempted to terminate that pact, citing the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC. No criminal court has found the 45th president guilty of January 6-related crimes, and in April 2022, a Manhattan Supreme Court judge ruled that de Blasio was wrong to scrap that agreement.

Bally’s Betting on Bronx Casino

Bally’s operates 17 casinos across nine states, and it acquired the lease on the Bronx golf course in an effort to procure one of the three downstate gaming licenses New York regulators will eventually award.

Rumors regarding Bally’s mulling a New York casino hotel date back to at least 2021, and it’s one of nearly a dozen operators vying for those permits, which could be awarded in the second half of this year, or at some point in 2025.

Amid speculation that two of those licenses are essentially reserved for MGM Resorts International’s Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Genting’s Resorts World New York in Queens, tiers are emerging for potential winners of the other permit. Industry observers are speculating Caesars Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, and Wynn Resorts could be among the leaders.

On the other hand, Bally’s and several other contenders are believed to be in the long shot camp, along with the likes of Hard Rock International and Mohegan Gaming. Rhode Island-based Bally’s has not commented on what its plans are for the golf course should it not win one of three casino licenses.

Bronx Course Part of Trump’s NY Divorce

While Donald Trump made a large part of his fortune and earned his celebrity status in New York, the former president’s home city hasn’t been hospitable to him in recent years.

To the delight of many in the left-leaning city, the Trump name has been stripped from several venues it once adorned, including the Bronx golf course.

However, at least 10 commercial and residential properties, including the iconic Trump Tower, still bear the GOP front-runner’s surname. The privately held Trump Organization maintains ownership of 16 properties in New York City.