Resorts World New York City, the state’s first casino, is set to unveil ambitious plans today for its expansion project, which involves an investment of $5.5 billion. This venture aims to position the casino as the largest integrated resort in the United States.
The casino has announced the opening of a new first floor featuring 1,400 slot machines, increasing its total slot machine count to 3,900. Robert DeSalvio, President of Genting Americas East, which operates the casino, noted the machines’ popularity, stating they have generated over $230 million in gross gaming revenue within just 11 weeks of operation.
This expansion arrives as revenues from traditional casinos continue to rise. Tribal gaming operators reported that receipts for 2025 increased by 5.3% year-on-year, reaching an all-time high of more than $46 billion. In addition, commercial casinos saw a nearly 5% year-on-year increase in gross gaming revenues for May, amounting to almost $4.7 billion.
In conjunction with the expansion, construction is underway on new facilities, which are expected to be completed by 2030. Plans include a new 400-room hotel tower and a concert arena with a capacity of 7,000 seats. Located in Jamaica, Queens, the casino sits near the soon-to-close Aqueduct racetrack and the offices of the New York Racing Association.
The casino’s development began in 2000, but it wasn’t until April of this year that it finally opened its table games under the Genting brand. Meanwhile, two additional integrated casino resorts are in the pipeline for New York City: one is the Metropolitan Park casino complex near Citi Field in Queens, backed by Hard Rock, while the other will be developed by Bally's in the Bronx.
The state estimates that once these casinos are operational, they could generate $7 billion in tax revenue over a decade, with investment firms anticipating annual gaming revenues peaking at $5.6 billion.
The New York Post reports that it has accessed renderings of the expansion plans, which are set to be publicly announced on Wednesday. These designs are said to include a new sports and media complex anticipated to be completed three years earlier than planned, along with a parking lot equipped with thousands of solar panels. Additionally, Genting is expected to increase hotel accommodation to a total of 2,000 rooms.
As New York City’s sole casino offering table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, Genting incurs hefty tax costs. They pay a 63% state tax on slot machine revenues and 30% on table game revenues. According to CNBC, Genting agreed to these higher tax rates when applying for a license last year, acknowledging that once the other two casinos open, all three will then benefit from a standardized, lower tax rate.
Despite the rise of online casinos and prediction markets, many traditional casinos continue to enjoy strong revenues, recovering from the downturn experienced during the pandemic. The expansion of operations is evident, with several tribal casinos slated to open this year, along with more set to follow in subsequent years.
