New York Casinos Report 4.7% Growth in August, Queens Casino Strong Contender, According to Senator

New York's commercial casinos showed a 4.7% year-on-year revenue growth in August, up from $62.1 million in 2024 to $65 million in 2025. 

The New York Gaming Commission has released its monthly revenue report for August, which showed that slots generated just under $47 million, up 9.5% year-on-year. However, table games fell by 4.2%, from $17.2 million to $16.5 million. 

This year’s August total is also up by 7.3% on the $60.6 million recorded in July and represents the highest monthly combined revenue figure recorded so far this year. 

Rivers Casino Takes Top Spot

Three of the four venues showed significant year-on-year growth, with the most impressive being Rivers Casino, which recorded $20.1 million, up 7.3% from the August 2024 total. That means the venue is now the state’s biggest casino revenue generator. 

Del Lago produced an even more impressive return, generating 9% more revenue in August than in the same month the previous year, while Tioga Downs also showed an improvement of 5.3%. In contrast, Resorts World Catskills, which topped the revenue table a year ago, is now in second place after recording a 1.4% revenue fall. 

Senator Says Citi Field Casino a Strong Contender 

The proposal to build a casino across from Citi Field in Queens is emerging as a strong contender as New York moves closer to awarding three downstate casino licenses,  however, according to one lawmaker, there are still risks attached to the proposal.

In a recent TV interview, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who opposes casino construction anywhere in New York City, said the plan, which New York Mets owner Steve Cohen backed, has a good shot at being approved, but came with significant risks. 

No official decisions have been made on the license awards, but analysts suggest two could go to Yonkers Raceway and Aqueduct in Queens, both of which already operate racinos. That would leave a single license for several new bids in the downstate region, including proposals in Coney Island, Times Square, Manhattan’s East Side, and Citi Field. The proposed casino at Citi Fields would occupy the current parking lot, across from NYCFC’s Etihad Park.

Hoylman-Sigal, who is the current Democratic nominee for Manhattan borough president, appeared on CBS News New York at the weekend and reiterated his belief that casinos harm their surrounding communities, citing crime, traffic, and addiction as significant concerns.

Despite community opposition, including a recent rally for which Broadway theaters lit marquees reading ‘No Times Square Casino’, there has been some support for the new casinos, which are expected to generate substantial revenue for the state.

However, Hoylman-Sigal criticized this argument as short-sighted and warned of the hidden costs to neighborhoods. He suggested alternative fund-raising initiatives, including taxing digital advertising revenue, which he said would be a less harmful way to boost state funds.