Chiree Gilliam picked up a pair of red dice, shook them confidently, then tossed them in a high arc toward the cushioned wall of the craps table.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrap dice,\u201d another bettor said as the dice settled onto the red felt, a losing roll for Ms. Gilliam.<\/p>\n
The croupier steered the dice back to Ms. Gilliam, 44, who on Tuesday morning became one of the first gamblers on the live tables at Resorts World New York City. The games opened after a ribbon cutting at 11 Tuesday morning. For another $25, she could throw the dice again.<\/p>\n
After decades of gambling companies trying and failing to secure a license, New York City has its first full casino.<\/p>\n
Since 2011, Resorts World has been operated as an electronic-games only parlor next to Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, but after years of competing for a full gambling license, it opened the city\u2019s first full-scale commercial casino, with live table games, dealers and cards.<\/p>\n
When Resorts World officials opened the doors late morning, a flood of eager bettors and curious onlookers rushed up the escalators to the flashy new gambling hall on the third floor.<\/p>\n
The hundreds of early gamblers who showed up seemed to hesitate at the threshold with the wonder of children on Christmas. Then they swarmed the hall, which is longer than a football field and features rows of gleaming new blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette tables.<\/p>\n
Ms. Gilliam, a nurse from Connecticut, said she regularly frequented casinos in her home state, like Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, but she wanted to size up what a New York City version was like.<\/p>\n
She settled on a craps table near the middle of the hall. After a half-dozen tosses, she was happy to break even, and she gave the new casino her seal of approval.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the tables, I like the atmosphere,\u201d she said. \u201cThis place is definitely livelier than other casinos, which makes sense because we\u2019re in New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier in the morning, Resorts World executives gathered for a ceremonial first bet. Flanked by elected officials, they threw an opening toss of the dice alongside the rapper Nas, who is a Queens native and is partnering with Resorts World.<\/p>\n
Dressed in a tuxedo, Nas gave his own toss and then hopped up on a platform in front of a D.J. and began rapping, punctuating his verses with patter promoting the new casino.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first live performance in a casino in New York City, baby, let\u2019s go,\u201d he said before launching into \u201cIf I Ruled the World (Imagine That).\u201d<\/p>\n
After the opening ceremony, bettors ringed the tables, even as some dealers and casino staffers seemed to be working out the kinks. Ryan Elder, a 45-year-old hair-salon owner, sped to a blackjack table with a $50 minimum bet before he realized there was a delay in opening it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a community guy and small business owner,\u201d said Mr. Elder, who brought $2,000 with him to gamble. \u201cIt\u2019s going to bring in a lot of new jobs and help the local economy,\u201d he added. \u201cAlso, it\u2019s a 6-minute drive from my house.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dealer at the table, Marie Leoma, said she had 15 years of casino experience in other states, but agreed to relocate to work at Resorts World because it was in New York City.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have been waiting so long for the first real casino in New York City to open,\u201d she said. \u201cThis city has all kinds of people, and you can see that just by looking around the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another bettor at the blackjack table, Phil Fernandez, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, gave his opinion.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody wants to drive two hours to a casino, so you\u2019re going to get a lot of people coming here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Until now, the closest full casinos to New York City have been in the Poconos, the Catskills, Atlantic City or Connecticut. Now New Yorkers can play a legal game of live-dealer blackjack within city limits, though Resorts World can take more than an hour by subway or car to get to from Midtown Manhattan.<\/p>\n