NEW YORK – The Gaming Facility Location Board has selected three casinos to move forward in the New York City area, one of which is Resorts World New York City. 

The Malaysian company owns Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, as well as locations in Newburgh, Bimini, Las Vegas and multiple locations in Asia.

Two other casinos—Bally’s Bronx and Hard Rock Metropolitan Park—were also selected to apply to the Gaming Commission for Gaming Facility Licenses.

According to the board’s final report, Resorts World proposes to convert and expand its existing video lottery terminal facility in Queens into a full commercial casino, expected to open in March 2026, with completion of the expansion in 2029 and full project completion in 2031.

Key components include a casino featuring at least 4,635 slot machines and 534 gaming tables, one new hotel, a 7,000-seat event center, a branded day club and more than 20 food and beverage outlets.

By comparison, according to its website, Resorts World Catskills in Monticello has 1,600 slot machines, 150 live Las Vegas style table games, 2,500 seat EpiCenter, ten restaurants and other food options, two hotel options (The 101-room Alder and 359-room Resorts World Catskills), an 18-hole golf course, and a spa and TopGolf Swing Suite.

Resorts World Catskills is operated by Empire Resorts, a member of the Genting Group, a group of companies founded in 1965, operating destination resorts in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, and the United States.

Revenue generated from the New York City casinos will go to the MTA, public schools and local governments.

In a press release, the Gaming Commission commented on the New York City licenses, saying, “The downstate market is among the strongest in the nation, supported by population density, income levels, and tourism. The sizable population within a two-hour drive will support sustained visitation, supplemented by domestic and international travelers.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement the proposed casinos must provide real benefits. “The three projects approved today promise to unlock billions in funding for the MTA and create tens of thousands of jobs. It is critical that they keep those promises. I look forward to the Gaming Commission’s review of the Board’s recommendations in the weeks ahead.”

The board in its report highlighted Resorts World for its speed in being able to open ahead of the other applicants, but also wrote of several concerns with Resorts World, including that the project’s financing plan relies heavily on future operating cash flow and future debt financing to fund a substantial portion of development costs, and that they did not disclose disciplinary actions against its Catskills and Hudson Valley properties. 

Resorts World did not return comment by presstime. 

History

This recent decision comes after a long history of casinos wanting to come to New York. In 2012, an amendment to the New York State Constitution was proposed to authorize up to seven casino facilities statewide. 

The enabling legislation directed that the first four gaming facilities be located in upstate regions, primarily to address economic distress in rural counties and provide funding for education, leading to the opening of Resorts World Catskills.

In 2022, the legislature established a new siting process for the remaining three licenses with significant new prerequisites, including that applicants had to secure all necessary zoning and land-use authorizations before the board could consider the application.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, the board responded to hundreds of applicant inquires. In June this year, the board received eight applications for new casino developments or expansions of existing video lottery gaming facilities.

In July, Community Advisory Committees were convened for each proposed project. Committees held multiple public hearings, reviewed written public comments, and voted on whether each application had sufficient community support. A two-thirds affirmative vote was required to allow an application to proceed.

Four applicants—Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, MGM Yonkers, and Resorts World New York City—received approval from their respective committees and submitted evidence of zoning compliance, and completion of environmental review.

The four remaining applicants were required to file additional materials by October 14. Three submitted the required supplemental documents; MGM Empire City subsequently withdrew its application.

What does this mean  for Sullivan County?

A report released in April of this year looked at the impact of downstate casinos on Sullivan County and Resorts World Catskills (RWC) and found unfavorable effects.

According to the report, just one new commercial casino in the New York City area could cause Resorts World Catskills to lose $51 million annually in gross gaming revenue. It states that is the low end of the analysis; approving multiple downstate casinos could drop revenue by up to 76%.

According to the report, which was prepared by Capacity Consulting for the Sullivan County Legislature, that one-casino scenario would mean nearly 400 jobs lost, $13.8 million in wages gone, and $2.3 million in local tax revenue eliminated. This includes sales tax, room tax, and gaming tax that funds county and town services.

The report notes that RWC already serves the NYC market, bussing patrons in from Flushing, Chinatown, and Midtown. 

“If casinos are built closer to those customers, Sullivan County could lose significant visitors very quickly,” the report says. 

Since its opening in 2018, RWC has contributed tax dollars to both Sullivan County and the Town of Thompson (five percent each), however the majority (80 percent) goes to the state and 10 percent to surrounding non-host counties, including Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, and Ulster counties.

Thompson Town Supervisor Bill Rieber said revenues for last year were $2.4M and they are tracking approximately $2.5M for 2025.

“The Town of Thompson is very pleased that Resorts has won a bid for a New York City casino license,” Rieber told the Democrat. “This will go a long way toward protecting the 1,400-plus jobs in Thompson. Resorts has been a good partner for Thompson and Sullivan County and we look forward to a continued good relationship.”

"We remain close partners with Resorts World, and we congratulate them on this major step toward expanding their existing gaming facilities in Queens," said Sullivan County Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz. "While a trio of NYC casinos will undoubtedly alter the landscape for us and other upstate communities who depend on the revenue and employment generated by local gaming establishments, Resorts World has repeatedly conveyed their desire to invest in and promote the Catskills casino and hotel, and we look forward to continuing to call them neighbors."

Plans are currently in the works for a local development corporation through the Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency to acquire through a bond sale the non-gaming assets of the RWC property, including the hotel, golf course and undeveloped land. 

The $585M deal is currently stalled after it was announced earlier this year.