Resorts World has quickly become the state’s highest-grossing casino after opening 200 table games on April 28. The property was one of three downstate projects to receive gaming licenses and has since become New York City’s first full-scale casino.
According to the New York State Gaming Commission, the four upstate commercial casinos combined for $13.4 million in gross gaming revenue in the week before Resorts World launched table games. Then, the figure rose to $41.3 million for the week of Resorts World’s launch. Then, the following week generated $40.1 million in statewide commercial gambling revenue.
In other words, Resorts World won $27.2 million in its first week of expanded operations. New York’s reported numbers don’t include revenue from the state’s 12 tribal casinos. However, those properties don’t have the traffic to outpace the Queens property.
Here’s a look at specific gross gaming revenue numbers for Resorts World NYC:
| Week ending | Gross gaming revenue |
| May 3 | $27.2 million |
| May 10 | $26.7 million |
| May 17 | $28.5 million |
Ready To Roll
Resorts World was ideally situated to quickly launch into a full-scale casino as a slot parlor attached to the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.
Along with the Resorts World project, the state also approved Bally’s plan for a casino at Ferry Point in the Bronx and Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposal for a casino adjacent to Citi Field in Queens.
However, those projects aren’t expected to open until 2030, giving Resorts World a leg up and offering some early insights on how state gaming revenue may play out in the Big Apple.
The Resorts World table games opening is the first of a several-phase expansion totaling $5.5 billion. Plans call for 6,000 slot machines and 800 table games to be in the gaming mix once the expansion is complete.
Additionally, parent company Genting Americas East, the Malaysian-based company that owns the property, will add 1,600 hotel rooms to the current 400 and build a 7,000-seat entertainment venue. The project will also include 12 acres of public green space, a spa, and more.
In other New York gaming news, attempts to legalize online casino gaming and poker appear to have come up short again this year. That followed Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) pushing for new measures to curb underage gambling.
