The first public hearing for the Resorts World NYC casino bid was held on Wednesday at the Queens Borough Hall and support was unanimous. A total of 44 speakers appeared before the project’s community advisory committee and all were in favour.
As one of two existing facilities among the eight total bids jockeying for three available licences, RWNYC has a substantial head start in terms of community relations, along with MGM Empire City. Having operated as a video lottery terminal (VLT) facility since 2011, the casino has established strong local ties, as potentially evidenced by a lack of union representatives or non-affiliated local residents appearing.
Dozens of civic leaders, community organisers and various non-profit groups endorsed the casino’s proposed $5.5 billion expansion. If approved, RWNYC would swap its VLTs for Class III slots and table games, and fill out currently unused space to begin operating by July 2026. That speed to market is the fastest of the field, a year ahead of MGM’s proposed launch in July 2027.
As one of the highest-grossing facilities in the US hovering around $1 billion in annual revenue, RWNYC is the state’s largest taxpayer. The casino has paid nearly $5 billion in taxes since 2011, with promises of larger contributions if approved. These factors contribute to the strength of the bid.
“For many hopefully obvious reasons, Resorts World is a clear choice for a downstate commercial licence,” said Kevin Jones, chief legal and strategy officer for parent company Genting Americas. “We have the fastest speed to market of anyone and we have the ability to open in six months from licensure, by next summer. We’re talking about a head start of up to five or more years on the ground-up sites.”
New announcements since last NY casino presentation
RWNYC opted to give a truncated presentation before the comment period, as did Caesars Times Square. Jones and fellow Genting executives Robert DeSalvio and Michelle Stoddard ran through key details and announced new steps the company has taken since the last meeting on 22 July.
One announcement was the establishment of a Resorts World Career Center at Jamaica Station in Queens. The job centre will launch on 16 September “in anticipation of adding thousands of new team members”, per a release. Another new initiative was an expanded “Intro to Gaming Operations” community programme, offered for free through CUNY/York College.
“The synergies you get when you combine casino hotels with the luxury and vast entertainment and leisure opportunities is that special sauce embedded in our DNA,” said DeSalvio, who heads Genting’s New York operations.
Strong community endorsement for Resorts World NYC
A litany of organisations were represented on Wednesday, all of whom had partnered with the casino over the years. The groups were diverse in scope and constituency and none questioned the company’s sincerity.
“If you attend a meeting with Queens Economic Development Corp, Queens Rising, Queens Chamber, at the library or any of our cultural gems, they are not only in the room, they are advocating for all of us,” said Katha Cato, executive director of the Queens World Film Festival.
While RWNYC would come online quickly, it would continuously build out subsequent phases over the next five years. Fully built, the new integrated resort would span 5.6 million square feet with 2,000 hotel rooms. Its casino would feature 6,000 slots and 800 tables, making it the largest in the US by machine count. These grand plans were applauded by local partners.
“New York City’s next frontier of work is here and it’s gaming,” said Tom Grech, CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “With the state considering up to three new downstate casino licences, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to grow our economy and create thousands of middle class jobs in the communities that need them most.”
Big moves in upstate New York
It has been a busy stretch for Genting’s New York operations. In addition to the RWNYC process, its Resorts World Catskills property upstate is also undergoing big changes.
Genting’s Empire Resorts subsidiary, which operates RWC, agreed on 15 August to sell two hotels, an 18-hole golf course, the 2,500-seat RWC Epicenter, a spa and multiple restaurants. The buyer was Sullivan County Resort Facilities Local Development Corp, which will pay $525 million for the assets.
The proceeds will be used to purchase some 1,500 acres from EPR Properties and pay down unsecured notes. In a release, Genting said the deal will “allow Empire to own approximately 1,554.6 acres of land which will be unencumbered by debt”. The land includes the 420 acres that RWC’s gaming and non-gaming assets sit on and “1,134.6 acres of vacant land which have development potential” nearby.
“The proposal will reinforce GENM’s long-term commitment to improve its competitive position
within the New York State gaming market and the broader northeastern US region,” the company said.
More than a decade of community ties seemingly came in handy for Resorts World NYC, with solid public support at its first NY casino hearing.