Las Vegas has arrived in New York City by way of Queens.
Resorts World New York City in South Ozone Park officially opened its live table games on Tuesday, welcoming bets and becoming the first full-fledged casino in the five boroughs.
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Resorts World New York City in Queens officially opened its live table games on Tuesday, welcoming bets and becoming the first full-fledged casino in the five boroughs
The opening comes just a little more than four months after the New York State Gaming Commission approved three new licenses for New York City casinos
Resorts World plans to add an entertainment venue, more hotel rooms and more table games, with the whole project set to be done in 2029
The opening comes just a little more than four months after the New York State Gaming Commission approved three new licenses for New York City casinos.
Resorts World — which had operated video lottery terminals like slots — was one of them, and had bet big that it would open the table games within months.
On Tuesday, it was jackpot, with more than 240 table games, including craps and roulette.
The launch drew in visitors from across the five boroughs, and the rapper Nas — a partner in the project — performed. But officials were boosting the economic development the project promises to bring, as well as the jobs.
Genting Americas East president Robert DeSalvio, whose gaming and hospitality company owns the casino, said they’ve already hired about 1,400 people as part of the expansion.
“We went out in our network, since we all have networks out in the casino industry, opening up a new dealer school,” DeSalvio said. “In three days, we filled over 400 spots in the dealer school with people. And a lot of dealers around the country were originally from New York.”
“And we’re finding that many of them want to come back home. And so we had no problem at all getting all the dealers that we needed,” he added. “And we’re gonna need more, ‘cause we’re gonna wind up opening more tables in the not too distant future.”
Tuesday marked the first phase of the casino’s expansion. It will add an entertainment venue, more hotel rooms and more table games, with the whole project set to be done in 2029.