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Resorts World New York City opened its live table games casino floor in Queens on Tuesday, becoming the first full-scale casino of its kind in New York City more than a decade after voters approved expanded gambling in the state.
The South Ozone Park facility, located next to Aqueduct Racetrack and a few miles from John F. Kennedy International Airport, has added more than 240 table games, including blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette. Resorts World had already been operating slot machines and electronic gaming at the site for more than a decade, which allowed it to move faster than the other two newly licensed casino projects.
The casino is owned by Genting, the Malaysia-based company that secured one of three downstate casino licenses awarded through New York’s gambling expansion process. The company won a license ahead of other major gaming operators that had pursued casino opportunities in the region, including Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts.
“We got the license Dec. 15, and here we are, April 28, welcoming our guests to the new casino floor,” Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said in an interview.
The opening gives Resorts World a temporary monopoly in New York City’s live table games market. The company has said it is paying 63% in state taxes on slot revenue and 30% on table game revenue. Its license bid included a clause under which its tax rate would be reduced to match competitors’ levels once the other licensed casinos are operating.
The other two projects are expected to take several years to open. Bally’s is developing a casino on a Bronx golf course purchased from The Trump Organization, while Hard Rock is planning a project with hedge fund manager and Mets owner Steve Cohen near Citi Field. Both are expected to open in 2030.
The Queens casino opening is the first phase of a larger $5 billion expansion. The plan includes an additional hotel wing, a 7,000-seat entertainment venue, an indoor day club with pools, a spa, and other facilities. Resorts World is also building what is expected to become New York City’s first sportsbook, although it has not yet opened.
The company said the current expansion has created more than 1,200 new jobs, including hundreds of table-game dealer positions, with another 500 hires expected by this summer. Resorts World has recruited some dealers from casinos in other states and is also training local workers through a dealer program.
State officials have projected that the three downstate casinos could generate $7 billion in gaming tax revenue over a decade. CBRE has projected annual gaming revenue at maturity of up to $5.6 billion under a bull case scenario.
The opening ceremony drew elected officials, community leaders, entertainers, and patrons. Queens-raised rapper Nas, a partner in the project, performed at the event and cast the first dice after the ribbon-cutting. He said the development was only the beginning for Queens, as further expansion will follow.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards framed the project as his long-standing ambition for the borough to become a larger entertainment destination. “We have hit the jackpot, Queens!” he said at the ceremonial opening.
Nas performing at the expansion's opening event
Queens Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato also pointed to the expected local economic impact, saying the project would bring an “economic shot in the arm” to South Ozone Park.
Some patrons welcomed the convenience of having live table games within the city, noting that New Yorkers would no longer need to travel to nearby states for that experience. Others arrived specifically to play blackjack and roulette on the first day.