Following a year of construction, New York’s newest casino – The Resorts World Hudson Valley – welcomed its first visitors on Wednesday morning. The 60,000 square feet venue is situated in the Newburgh Mall, only 60 miles north of NYC.
It will feature 1,200 slot machines, 82 electronic table games and the Resorts World Bet Sports Bar. The new casino will be the third Resorts World property in the Empire State, located in a shopping mall filling a space that was formerly occupied by a Bon Ton department store.
A grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 10AM which featured a traditional Chinese lion dance performance. Over one thousand people lined up to be the first to tread foot inside NYC’s latest casino.
Newburgh city is receiving $3m a year from Resorts World per year and has promised to employ local residents, with 250 full-time workers in Newburgh prioritized for hiring. According to Genting Group, a developer and operating company, the average annual pay will be $72,000, including salaries and benefits.
For others in the community, The Resorts World Hudson Valley represents a welcome entertainment option that they had previously been lacking. The Newburgh mall has struggled to stay afloat and recently saw its anchor store, Sears, close its doors permanently.
The new Resorts casino is also projected to contribute $65m in annual taxes intended to support New York’s public education. To date, Resorts World properties in the Empire State have contributed more than $3.6bn in aid of New York’s public schools.
The company also owns and operates Resorts World New York City in Queens and Resorts World Catskill in Montecillo. Across those three properties, Genting has invested more than $1.2bn in New York State.
