With a snip of the ribbon and a roll of the dice, New York City officially entered a new era of gaming on April 28, as Resorts World New York City unveiled its fully operational commercial casino—complete with live table games—for the first time in the five boroughs.
The ceremony, held at the sprawling South Ozone Park complex adjacent to Aqueduct Racetrack, brought together a packed stage of executives, elected officials, and community leaders who framed the moment as both historic and deeply local. Genting Group Chairman KT Lim stood alongside casino leadership and Queens-born hip-hop icon Nas (Nasir Jones), whose presence added a cultural exclamation point to the milestone.
“This event has been more than a decade in the making,” said Resorts World executives during opening remarks, reflecting on the 15-year journey from a slots-only facility to a full-scale gaming destination. “Today, we celebrate New York City’s first-ever live table games and the evolution into a true integrated resort.”
Resorts World executives and local elected officials cut the ribbon on the expanded casino. Photo courtesy of Gee
The first roll at the new craps table. Photo by Robert Pearl
Nas. Photo courtesy of Gee
Inside, the scale of the expansion is unmistakable: more than 240 live dealer tables—blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps—join over 2,500 slot machines, drawing both seasoned gamblers and curious first-timers. Officials noted the property already welcomes more than five million visitors annually, a figure expected to climb as the new offerings take hold.
But much of the morning’s focus stayed grounded in Queens itself. Speaker after speaker emphasized what they described as a longstanding partnership between Resorts World and the surrounding community—one built on workforce development, local hiring, and sustained investment.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards called the opening “years in the making,” highlighting union job creation and economic opportunity. “This is about pathways to prosperity,” he said, pointing to thousands of jobs and the promise of upward mobility for local residents.
Also present at the ceremony were NYS Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato and former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, as well as NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola, along with a broad roster of officials, community leaders, and stakeholders from across Queens and New York City.
The event’s program reflected a wide coalition of civic and government participation, with attendees spanning local, city, and state representation gathered on stage for the ribbon cutting and subsequent ceremonial activities marking the opening of Resorts World New York City’s expanded gaming operations.
Resorts World executives echoed that sentiment, repeatedly returning to the themes of “community” and “partnership” as the foundation of the project. They highlighted investments in local organizations, workforce pipelines, and a workforce that is largely drawn from Queens and the five boroughs, with strong representation from communities of color and women.
President Robert DeSalvio called the opening “a milestone years in the making,” noting that more than 1250 new jobs were created in just months following licensure. Looking ahead, he outlined broader ambitions: a 7000-seat entertainment venue, expanded hotel capacity, public green space, and billions in projected tax revenue for education, transit, and state programs.
Chairman KT Lim, addressing the crowd, framed the opening as just the beginning. “When we build, we do not build and walk away,” he said. “We invest, and we stay.”
Another major player in this development, Kevin Jones, the Resorts World strategy chief & legal officer, described the project as more than just the state’s first commercial casino, calling it “a tectonic shift” in New York’s entertainment landscape. He said it would effectively move the center of gaming and entertainment in the city into the facility itself, underscoring its scale and regional impact.
After the formal program, the crowd was led upstairs to the third-floor gaming hall for the ceremonial first roll. The mood shifted from civic ceremony to full-on spectacle — lights flashing, Vegas-style show girls, drum corps, chips clacking, and anticipation building as guests gathered around the tables. In a moment that blended Queens swagger with casino theatrics, the dice were cast, greeted by cheers and a soundtrack befitting the borough – Nas took the stage to give the crowd one of his rap performances and an unmistakable anthem echoing the sentiment of the day: Queens get the money.
For many in attendance, the symbolism was clear. What began as a local development project has evolved into a centerpiece of New York City’s entertainment and economic landscape—one that aims to keep the action – and the revenue – closer to home.