A plan for a $3 billion casino in New York's Manhattan includes a massive crypto-trading floor and a flying-car landing pad
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A Las Vegas-seasoned asset manager is eyeing an addition to New York's famed Manhattan skyline — a multibillion-dollar casino with space for trading cryptocurrencies and a landing pad for flying cars.
Jason Ader, a former Las Vegas Sands board member, expects to submit his plans for the casino to the local gambling regulator by Friday, Bloomberg reported.
The crypto trading floor should be the biggest in the world, and the project includes an esports arena and a venue for events such as New York Fashion Week, Ader told Bloomberg, according to the report on Tuesday.
"The goal is to have a differentiated, but comprehensive, approach to entertainment that goes beyond casino gaming with some pretty cool elements," Ader said in the interview.
The proposal to include a trading floor stirs echoes of the debate whether trading digital currencies is investing or gambling, given their high price volatility. Regulator Gary Gensler, the Securities and Exchange Commission chief, has likened the market to casinos in the Wild West.
Some members of the Reddit community reacted positively to the news, though others were less keen. "If you want to get crypto regulated into oblivion, put it on a casino floor," one Redditor said.
"Mirai," Ader's chosen name for the casino, means "future" in Japanese. The cost estimate for the project is $3 billion or more — though that might change depending on its location, which has not been finalized.
While Ader's preference is for a site in Manhattan, local officials have previously opposed the idea of a casino in the area. Other sites being considered are Long Island and neighboring counties, according to Bloomberg.
He is putting forward the casino bid via a partnership with Universal Entertainment, a leading gaming and entertainment company from Japan. Ader's blank-check company, 26 Capital Acquisition Corp, will merge with a Philippines-based casino resort owned by Universal.
Ader didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
