Live-dealer table games are set to make their Big Apple debut at Resorts World New York City on Tuesday.
Key Takeaways
- Resorts World NYC plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
- The site adjacent to the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens is the first of three in-person casinos to open in the U.S.’ most populous city.
- The casino has doubled its workforce since receiving a gaming license.
Pending final testing and approval by the New York State Gaming Commission, Resorts World will be the first of three in-person casinos to launch over 240 table games, including blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette, in the city. Thousands of slot and video gaming machines that launched in 2011 will also be available at the Genting-owned facility adjacent to the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.
The casino operator will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning. Hip-hop artist Nas, who helped Resorts World land one of the coveted casino operating licenses late last year, will join other entertainers, community leaders, Genting chair Lim Kok Thay, and elected officials to kick off the gaming experience.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account“We are ready to welcome New Yorkers to this exciting new experience," Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said in a statement. “This is a transformational moment for Resorts World New York City, and we cannot wait to share it with our fellow New Yorkers."
Reshaping Queens
Resorts World completes a 15-year push to add a casino in the Big Apple. The operator had hoped to launch live table games in the downstate market by March.
A $5.5-billion renovation is part of a $7.5-billion approved proposal that will add 2,000 hotel rooms and a 7,000-seat entertainment venue to a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor. The project located near the busy JFK Airport includes 12 acres of green space and 7,000 parking spots.
Resorts World NYC’s new casino plans to employ 2,700 people by the summer. More than 1,200 new jobs were created, including 950 dealers.
“Resorts World now employs over 2,200 team members and has already doubled our workforce and expects thousands more team members as the integrated resort is developed over the next three years,” DeSalvio said.
More to come
NYC joined Bally’s Bronx, located at the site of Bally’s Golf Links, and Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, led by billionaire Steve Cohen, in Queens, as the three casino projects to receive bid approval and gaming licenses in December 2025. Both are scheduled to open in 2030.
MGM Empire City seemed destined for approval before the gaming operator pulled its bid in October.
New York is the most populous city in the U.S. and receives over 60 million visitors each year. The casinos are projected to incrementally generate $1 billion per year in gaming tax revenue by 2036. Another $1.5 billion in licensing fees and $5.9 billion from state and local taxes, property, and sales is expected to fuel NYC as well.
