Public Praises Resorts World New York City Casino In First License Meeting

Resorts World New York City took a positive step toward receiving one of New York’s three available casino operators’ licenses.

The casino proposal received strong public support from local leaders, officeholders, and groups during its first public hearing last Wednesday. The discussion was organized by the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which is required to vote by Sept. to recommend or reject the casino for licensing, before the Gaming Facility Location Board makes the final call on the project’s fate.

Resorts World and MGM’s Empire City have been seen as favorites to receive a license since they already operate local racinos.

Public commentary

The meeting, held at Queens Borough Hall, included visits from more than 40 speakers. 

The members of the CAC –  Chairman Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Community Board 10 Chair Betty Bratton, State Senator James Sanders, Stevens Martinez representing Governor Kathy Hochul’s office, and NYC DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia – were also present.Resorts World launched in New York in 2011. Its history of economic development was a positive talking point during the meeting.

“Resorts World also strengthened Queens’ small business ecosystem by prioritizing local vendors and encouraging guests to shop and dine locally,” said Tom Grech, CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “Their expansion will bring sustainable growth, strengthen local businesses and invest directly [into Queens].”

An expert from the medical field also noted that the racino has played a positive role in shaping local infrastructure, specifically by helping improve public healthcare. 

“Over the years, they have donated much-needed funds to support many of our clinical services and programs in our hospital,” said Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s CEO, Bruce Flanz.

Additionally, Resorts World received a vote of support from a leader of a local nonprofit. 

“Resorts World has been there and continues to be an important part of our success and the success of other tiny non-profits throughout Southeast Queens,” said Greg Mays, founder and executive director of A Better Jamaica.

Council Member Nantasha Williams and Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson also endorsed the project, although Williams challenged Resorts World to create a $140 million community investment fund for addiction and mental health support.

Project details

Resorts World’s casino proposal would result in a $5.5 billion transformation that would expand the 73-acre racino into a “global entertainment hub,” as described by its parent company, Genting Americas.

Project details call for 500,000 square feet of gaming space outfitted with 6,000 slot machines and 800 live-dealer table games.

The campus would also feature a 7,000-seat arena, a 2,000-room hotel, a STEM research center, and 3,000 housing units for the local workforce.

If the casino is approved, it would create an estimated 10,000 jobs, half of those being permanent union jobs. An estimated 14,000 related positions would also be created as a result of the project. 

Resorts World has already paid close to $5 billion in taxes since it launched in New York in 2011. Financial analysts estimated that expanding to a full-fledged casino would lead to more than $1 billion in annual tax contributions.

Alongside Resorts World and the MGM proposal, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s Queens project appears to be in a strong position to receive a license.

A Times Square proposal, led by Caesars Entertainment, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, and SL Green, was met with lots of criticism from locals during their first public hearing earlier this month. 

Four other high-profile casino groups are also in the race to receive an operator’s license, which will be announced before the end of the year.