ALBANY — The state attorney general’s office has opened a preliminary inquiry into the process by which three projects were recently recommended for new casino licenses, according to two former bidders who were later contacted by investigators.

Jeffrey M. Gural, whose bid to build a full-scale casino at his racetrack casino in Nichols, N.Y., was rejected in December, said he met with a representative of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s office last week.

Mr. Gural said the state investigator had traveled to Nichols, in the state’s Southern Tier region, to pose broad questions as to whether he felt the eight-month-long bidding process last year was fair.

“I said, ‘I didn’t think any laws had been broken,’ ” said Mr. Gural, who has been outspoken about his anger at being passed over for a license.