After nearly a decade of stops and starts, Queens has finally rolled the dice on a multibillion-dollar casino expansion that brings live table games to New York City for the first time.
Resorts World New York City in South Ozone Park rolled out the red carpet for roulette, craps, baccarat and blackjack, opening its casino doors to more than 1,200 new jobs — including 950 table dealers — and up to $7 billion in gaming tax revenue over the next 10 years.
“After all the negotiating, the planning, the relationship building and all of the work navigating the license application process, we have finally made it to this day,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said on opening day of the expanded casino Tuesday. Give yourselves a round of applause, because we have hit the jackpot.”
For now, Resorts has the odds stacked in its favor being the first of three planned full-service casinos to open in the city. The casino will pay hefty share of the proceeds to New York, with a 63% state tax on slots revenue and 30% on table game income. Once competition arrives the tax rate will drop to the levels its competitors pay once they’re up and running.
But for now, Resorts has New York City all to itself. To get it going, the company had to recruit some dealers from casinos in other states. They’ll work side by side with trainees from its local “dealer college,” who will handle much of the table action.
“We are changing the landscape of New York forever with a building that will never close,” said Kevin Jones, chief strategy officer of Resorts World New York.
This rendering from Resorts World shows the Resorts World casino, owned by Malaysian casino giant Genting, a $5.5-billion investment to its gaming facility at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. (Resorts World via AP, File)
Since 2011, Resorts has been operated as a gambling operation running only electronic games. But after years of competing for a full gambling license, the operation has all the hallmarks of a Las Vegas-style casino.
The new third-floor hall is longer than a football field, filled with shiny new blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette tables.
Among those tossing dice was Queens rapper Nas, a Resorts partner. Resplendent in a black tuxedo, Nas gave it a go before launching into a performance of his signature song “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)”
Not everybody was doubling down on the new project. Opponents had cited pollution and other environmental concerns.
There were also fears that the casino could lead to a rise in crime and traffic.
Resorts World New York City is adjacent to the Aqueduct Racetrack and just a few miles away from John F. Kennedy International Airport.
It has been more than a decade since voters approved an expansion of gambling in the state.
“We believe that what is good for this community is good for this property and is good for this city,” said Michelle Stoddart, Resorts’ senior vice president of community development.
The other two casinos are expected to open around 2030.