Recently, New York City’s Resorts World Casino officially revealed an extension proposal for a full-fledged casino license worth $5 billion that will deliver a concert hall and an entertainment center among various other amenities to Southeast Queens. All of this forms part of its leading bid to obtain one of three downstate gaming licenses.
Sweetening the bid:
The casino, which sits adjacent to the Aqueduct Race Track, wants its intention to boost 10,000 jobs to make its bid with New York more attractive when license applications officially open later this in the year. Obtaining one of the licenses would allow the racino to offer table games such as blackjack, baccarat, poker and craps in addition to its existing video lottery terminal slots and other electronic betting games.
The group responsible for the bid introduced their plans at the casino with an event that included a long list of politicians involving State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Borough President Donovan Richards, in addition to celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson and Queens-bred rapper Nas.
Commenting on the expansion project, Sen. Addabbo Jr., who chairs the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, commented: “The new Resorts World is going to completely change New York City for the better, but nowhere more than the surrounding communities. It encompasses job creation, parks and entertainment, all located right here in Queens. This isn’t a pipe dream or some far-off proposal; it’s a tangible development with a positive impact that the city and state should be able to witness as soon as possible.”
In this regard, Nas, who referenced his song “Queens Get The Money,” commented: “It’s an honor to be here, to be a part of this with Resort[s] World, realizing the future, seeing what this can be and what it will be.”
Genting America Inc., a member of Malaysia-headquartered resort company, Genting Group, officially opened Resorts World New York City in Oct. 2011, and is reported to attract five million-plus visitors anually.
Expansion proposal:
The expansion plan involves extending the casino floor to 350,000 square feet, meaning that it would become one of the biggest worldwide, based on the information provided by Resorts World. In addition, it would also add 1,600 fresh hotel rooms to the initial 400 officially opened back in 2021 at the neighboring Hyatt Regency JFK Airport.
And that’s not all; because there’d also be an extra 350,000 square feet of entertainment and conference space that would involve an arena equipped with 7,000 seats, 10 acres of publicly accessible green space involving running paths and trails, a health center and a sports academy named for two-time NBA Champion Kenny “The Jet” Smith.
Relatedly, the expansion could potentially open up 5,000 construction jobs, as well as 5,000 permanent union positions in hospitality and gaming already this year. However, this’d only happen when and if they receive said license from New York State.
An “existing” racino, Empire City Casino in Yonkers, and Resorts World are expected to receive two of the three licenses mentioned above, although this is not a certainty.
“Aqueduct Park” proposal:
One more proposal, said to be separate but also intertwined with the expansion proposal, has also been introduced by Resorts World and is called “Aqueduct Park.” This proposal would depend on the “future consolidation” of horse racing at Long Island’s Belmont Park. That would permit the state to begin the redevelopment process of the rest of the Aqueduct land into what could potentially be one more project worth $5 billion, according to President of Genting Americas East, Robert DeSalvio.
He commented that they want to construct “a new 24/7 community to complement the existing neighborhood” if they receive access to the land. That’d involve unspecified mass transit improvements for connections to Manhattan and JFK, 50 acres of parkland and 3,000 units of “workforce housing.”
In this regard, DeSalvio said:“We’re proud to have grown with the Queens community for over a decade. When we stood here more than a dozen years ago to break ground on Resorts World New York City, our vision extended well beyond that already-ambitious original plan – today, that vision can soon become reality,” according to the official press release.
However, before any of that can happen they’ll need to first obtain a license. Regarding that ongoing competition, Resorts World faces intense competition spanning the five boroughs, including a rival bid from Mets owner Steve Cohen for Queens; one each in the Bronx and Brooklyn; and another handful spread across Midtown Manhattan. One of the latter is reportedly backed by Jay-Z who had an epic fued with Nas that began back in the mid-1990s and ended in 2005 with the “I Declare War Tour.”
Applications for licenses are expected to open soon.