NYC’s First Full Casino Opens April 28, as Resorts World Gets a 4-Year Head Start
Resorts World New York City will open the Big Apple’s first full-scale casino on April 28. The reimagined third floor at the Aqueduct Racetrack facility in Jamaica, Queens, will launch over 240 table games, covering blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps. This comes in addition to the 6,000+ slot machines that are already in the facility from its time as a slots parlour.
Genting Chairman KT Lim and hip-hop legend Nas will join elected officials and community leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony next Tuesday at 9:30am, where they will also stage a ceremonial first dice roll.
The opening follows an intensive hiring and training push that has already doubled Resorts World’s workforce, bringing total employment to over 2,200 people from day one. The company has trained 950 new table game dealers, many of whom completed their orientation just days before the opening. The company expects to expand its employee base to 2,700 by the summer, and it plans to add thousands more as it develops the broader integrated resort over the next three years.
The New York State Gaming Commission awarded three downstate casino licenses last December, marking one of the biggest moments in the city’s entertainment history. Alongside Resorts World New York City, developers will bring Hard Rock’s Metropolitan Park and Bally’s Bronx projects to life. However, Resorts World has a major advantage because it is nearly ready for business, while the other two licensees must start from scratch and will not go live until around 2030.
Building on What’s Already There
Resorts World is expanding an already existing facility. It has operated a racino beside the historic Aqueduct Racetrack since 2011, generating almost $5 billion for the state’s public education system over that time. Resorts World did not need to take an aggressive approach when it received its license. Instead, regulators effectively invited it forward with a multi-phase expansion plan that will cost about $3.3 billion upon completion. The company plans to add a new hotel and performance venue.
The company has needed to expand its workforce to gear up for the opening. The Resorts World Dealer School has trained more than 400 local Queens residents to prepare for the opening, and it will have another 500 ready by next month.
Developers will create significant numbers of construction jobs through the two other projects in the coming years. Hard Rock plans to spend about $8 billion to develop Metropolitan Park beside the New York Mets’ Citi Field ballpark in Flushing, Queens, targeting a 2030 opening date. Bally’s plans to build its $4 billion Bronx development on the former Trump Links golf course at Ferry Point, and it is working toward a similar timeline.
This four-year head start will surely work to Resorts World’s advantage, allowing it to build brand loyalty, expand on its existing customer data, and generate significant revenue before any competitors open.
The MGM Mystery
The biggest surprise during the licensing process came when MGM Resorts pulled out in October, after making it through as a finalist and just weeks before the final selection.
MGM had been assumed to be a shoo-in for the same reason as Resorts World, that it would only need to upgrade an existing facility, not develop a presence from scratch.
On the same day that applicants had to submit their revised tax rate proposals to the Gaming Facility Location Board, MGM announced it would exit the process, offering only a few vague reasons.
The company argued that the remaining proposals clustered within a small geographic area, which it believed would create significant competition. It had also pushed for a 30-year commercial casino license, which would have allowed it to better justify the significant capital investment. When regulators confirmed that they would offer only a 15-year license, MGM reassessed the financial outlook for its planned $2.3 billion renovation project.
MGM already has capital-intensive projects underway in Japan and Dubai, and it continues to overhaul the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. CEO Bill Hornbuckle expressed concern about tying up additional capital in a New York project.
The decision surprised the Yonkers community, and Mayor Mike Spano called it a betrayal while urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to launch an independent investigation into the matter. His suspicions were based on the fact that MGM’s withdrawal virtually guaranteed that Bally’s would make the final cut, securing a $115 million payment to one of President Trump’s businesses. Bally’s will build its resort on the former Trump Links golf course, and that deal included a premium contingent on the success of Bally’s bid.
What Comes Next
The April 28 Resorts World opening marks only the beginning of a broader project. Genting Americas East President Robert DeSalvio has made it clear that the company will execute a multi-year development plan, building out the integrated resort over the next three years.
Genting brings a strong industry pedigree, drawing on over five decades of experience in travel and leisure. The company operates destination resorts in the Catskills, Las Vegas, Singapore, the UK, and Malaysia.
Teams behind the Hard Rock and Bally’s projects will watch closely as they evaluate how successfully Resorts World performs in the coming years before they open their own developments.
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
