New York Casinos Earn $57.6 Million in September, NYC Casino Race Close to Finish Line

Commercial casinos in New York generated $57.6 million in September, a year-on-year increase of 3.1% from $55.9 million in September 2024. 

Of the total, slots in the state generated $40.7 million, a 3.5% increase from $39.3 million the year prior. Table games also saw a year-on-year increase of 5.9%, with profits rising from $14.3 million to $15.2 million. 

The news currently taking New York by storm is which three casinos will be chosen for licenses in December. The once-eight bids have been reduced to just four after the Community Advisory Committees' first round of voting, with all three proposed casinos for Manhattan being rejected. 

Wins, Losses, and Stagnations for New York Casinos 

The latest report from the New York State Gaming Commission shows that of the four commercial casinos in New York, two saw year-on-year gains, one saw revenue remain stable, and one saw a loss. 

Rivers Casino & Resort saw a double-digit year-on-year revenue increase, with profits rising from $16.6 million to $19.1 million. Table games in the casino saw revenue increase by 30.6%, rising from $2.8 million to $3.7 million. Poker tables also increased profits by 10.6%, from $312,559 to $345,732. 

Profits from the casino's slots also rose by 14%, from $12.6 million to $14.4 million. 

Despite being the lowest-earning casino in the state, Tigoa Downs was the only other casino to see year-on-year gains in September, with profits rising by 3.9%  from $9.1 million to $9.4 million. Slot revenue grew by 5.2% in September, from $7.8 million to $8.2 million. However, table games in the casino saw a 4.8% revenue decrease, dropping from $1.1 million to just over $1 million. 

Profits for the Del Lago Resort and Casino remained stable, with a minor decrease of 0.7%, dropping from $13.8 million to $13.7 million. Revenue for slots dropped year-on-year by 2.3%, from $10.6 million to $10.4 million. In contrast, table games saw a double-digit gain of 10.8% year-on-year, from $2.6 million to $2.9 million. 

Resorts World Catskills was the only commercial casino in the state to see a 6.2% year-on-year loss in September. Slots saw a loss of 7%, with profits decreasing from $8.2 million to $7.6 million, and table games also saw a decline of 3.3%, from $7.8 million to $7.6 million. 

The New York Casino Race is Reaching the Finishing Line 

As the profits at the state's commercial casinos increase, committees have been busy deciding which casino proposals will go through to the next round of votes in the hopes of winning one of the three casino licenses on offer in the state. 

After four of the eight bids, including all three proposed casinos in Manhattan, were recently voted out of the running, only four bids remain for the licenses.         

Those still in the running are racetrack and slots operators, Resorts World New York, based in Jamaica, Queens, and MGM Empire City in Yonkers. If granted licenses, the two racinos would be able to introduce table games to their venues quickly, and if they are not offered licenses, it could greatly impact business. 

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is backing a casino in Metropolitan Park and Hard Rock Casino, which would be located next to the baseball stadium Citi Field in Queens.   

Despite the New York City Council's earlier rejection of Bally's land-use change, New York City Mayor Adams kept Bally’s proposed casino in the Bronx alive by vetoing the rejection. The proposal has been followed by controversy after it was revealed that Bally’s purchased the former Trump Golf Links land in 2023. The Trump Organization would receive a further $115 million if granted a casino license. 

With the licenses expected to be granted by December 1, the four remaining casinos are soon to go before the state's gaming commission to discover which bids will be granted licenses.