Resorts World New York City Opens as NYC's First Full-Scale Casino

^{Officials and community leaders cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Resorts World New York City on April 28. (Photo: Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato on X.com)}

Resorts World New York City launched its table-game offerings on Tuesday, making it the first full-scale casino available to gamblers in NYC. 

The opening happened just months after Genting won one of the three downstate casino licenses offered up by the New York State Gaming Commission after a years-long bidding process.

Resorts World Years Ahead of NYC Competitors

Resorts World New York City, located next to Aqueduct Racetrack near John F. Kennedy Airport, was able to open its doors so quickly thanks to the act that it has been running as an electronic gaming facility since 2011. The new table games occupy a renovated space on the third floor of what was originally just a racino.  The casino also expects to open a sportsbook and poker room as upgrades continue to the facility moving forward.

The opening ceremonies featured rapper Nas, a Queens native, who mixed casino promotions into a performance of “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That).” 

“We got the license Dec. 15, and here we are, April 28, welcoming our guests to the new casino floor,” Genting Americas East President Robert DeSalvio told CNBC. 

By opening ahead of the competition, Genting will enjoy a monopoly on casino gambling in New York City for several years. The other two licenses went to Bally’s – which is building a casino on the former Trump Links golf course in the Bronx – and Hard Rock International, partnering with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen to develop the Metropolitan Park complex next to Citi Field. Those facilities are expected to open sometime in 2030.

But Resorts World will pay for that head start. For the time being, the casino will pay 63% of its slots revenue and 30% of its table game revenue in state taxes, as Genting proposed in its bid. However, that same agreement stipulated that those tax rates would be lowered to match those of other casinos once they open for business.

Jobs, Taxes, and Atmosphere: Big Expectations for Resorts World NYC

One of the biggest promises made by casino proponents was the creation of solid jobs for local residents. According to Resorts World spokesperson Stefan Friedman, the casino has already hired 1,250 people for the full-scale resort, with another 500 hires expected before summer 2026. 

The state is also hoping for major economic returns from Resorts World and the other two casinos. Officials have estimated that the three resorts could ultimately generate $7 billion in tax revenue from gaming over the next decade.

For local officials in Queens, the hope is that the resorts bring people to the borough and help revitalize the local economy.

“I have always dreamt of Queens being an international entertainment hub,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said during the opening ceremony. “This is certainly part of that puzzle.”

As hundreds of gamblers arrived to play on opening day, early reviews came in from the first customers. Chiree Gilliam, a nurse from Connecticut, told The New York Times that the casino stacked up well against the regional competition.

“I like the tables, I like the atmosphere,” said Gilliam. “This place is definitely livelier than other casinos, which makes sense because we’re in New York City.”

But for those operating Resorts World New York City, Tuesday’s opening was only the beginning.

“We are changing the landscape of New York City with a building that will never close. This is literally going to be the world’s largest casino,” Resorts World New York City Chief Strategy Officer Kevin Jones said. “This is going to be a tectonic shift.”