Having hinted at it for several months, the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has confirmed that he will support an amendment to the state constitution to allow commercial casino gaming.

Andrew Cuomo

Delivering his 2012 State of the State Address, Cuomo launched a new economic development blueprint to boost investment and jobs across the state.

Among the proposals he announced was a comprehensive approach to casino gaming in an effort to prevent the loss of tax revenue, tourism dollars and jobs to neighbouring states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

An estimated $1bn in economic activity could be generated from gaming in the state, he explained.

"Our challenge for 2012 is this: how does government spur job creation in a down economy while limiting spending and maintaining fiscal discipline?” he said. “The answer is forging public-private partnerships that leverage state resources to generate billions of dollars in economic growth and create thousands of jobs."

New York demonstrated its appetite for gaming with the opening of Genting’s Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens, a multi-billion dollar slot and electronic table games facility.

Thousands have already visited the property, which opened in October.

Ahead of the address, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would support a move to bring casino gaming to the city as a way of creating new jobs and stimulating the economy.