Resorts World NYC Breaks Ground On Latest Expansion Ahead Of Schedule
Also, 1,400 slots added as head start on other New York City commercial casinos is amplified
The first full-fledged commercial casino in the five boroughs of New York City is getting larger while its eventual competition is still waiting to get started.
Resorts World New York City broke ground Wednesday morning (at least ceremonially, with executives, shovels, and photo ops) on Phase Two of its $5.5 billion expansion on the site of the former Aqueduct racetrack in Queens. Coming less than three months after the casino opened its table games floor in late April, this groundbreaking is happening ahead of the build-out schedule committed to in Resorts World’s initial license application.
The expansion plans include a concert arena with capacity for 7,000 people; a 400-room Hyatt hotel tower and a Crockfords hotel, joining the existing 400-room Hyatt Regency hotel; the “Jet Center” sports and media complex, named after former NBA player and Queens native Kenny “The Jet” Smith; and a new parking garage outfitted with thousands of solar panels.
Resorts World shared renderings at Wednesday’s groundbreaking, though the New York Post received early access and published one image Tuesday.
According to parent company Genting, Resorts World NYC will be the largest integrated gaming resort in the U.S. once work is completed.
Whether its size will be surpassed when the Metropolitan Park project is complete, also in Queens, remains to be seen. But neither Metropolitan Park nor the Bally’s casino in the Bronx is expected to open before 2030, and there have already been reported delays.
Lots of slots
The groundbreaking added to a busy week at Resorts World NYC, which on Tuesday opened the first floor of its commercial casino, adding 1,400 slot machines to bring the total number of those at the property to 3,900.
“Since the moment we opened, our slot machines have been incredibly popular with the public, generating more than $230 million in gross gaming revenue in just 11 weeks,” said Genting Americas East President Robert DeSalvio in a press release. “With these 1,400 new games, we will be able to accommodate more patrons and generate even more in taxes for the state.”
Since its opening as a full casino, Resorts World NYC has consistently been New York state’s top revenue-generating casino by a wide margin. The numbers have continued to hold steady, with more than $30 million in gross gaming revenue reported in three of the last four weeks.
By 2030 — the year its local competition is expected to arrive — Resorts World NYC projects to operate a 350,000-square-foot gaming floor with 6,000 slot machines and 800 table games.
The marketing materials surrounding Tuesday’s new slot offerings highlighted Dragon Den, “an immersive slot experience featuring 114 of Aristocrat’s most popular themes, including 48 Dragon Link games.” Among the jackpots up for grabs is a $1 million progressive.
Eric has been a professional editor and writer for more than 25 years, including nearly 20 years of experience covering the gambling industry. He was editor-in-chief of the poker magazine All In from 2005-2015 and manag…
