Plans for three proposed New York City casinos are one step closer to becoming reality.

The five-person New York State Gaming Facility Location Board recommended the three final commercial casino projects − Bally's Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park and Resorts World New York City − for submission to the state Gaming Commission for licensure consideration on Monday, Dec. 1.

Their decision has been long awaited and the process even featured an unexpected last-minute withdrawal of a fourth project proposed for Yonkers.

Here's what to know.

How did we get here?

In an attempt to bolster the state's economy, up to seven new casino facilities statewide were approved in 2012, with a requirement that the first four were located in upstate New York. The four include three new builds − de

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