Resorts World Presents New York Integrated Resort Plans to Advisory Committee

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Resorts World New York City has presented its $5.5 billion proposal for a fully integrated resort in the city to the Community Advisory Committee (CAC).

The six-person panel heard how Resorts World plans to transform the 73-acre Aqueduct site into an entertainment hub if it is awarded one of three downstate New York casino licenses.

Spread across an area a 5.6 million square feet, the resort would house a casino with 6,000 slot machines and 800 gaming tables. Also on site would be 2,000 hotel rooms, a 7,000-seat arena, food and beverage outlets, spa and community greenspace.

Resorts World New York City said the project would create up to 24,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue for the state. In order to move forward for licensing consideration, the proposal would have to receive a vote of approval from the CAC.

New-Look Venue Could Open in 2026

The operator said the project could be open as early as July 2026. Land-use approvals have already been granted, with Resorts World planning to start work immediately should it secure a license.

“When it comes to completion and operational risk, Resorts World New York City stands uniquely as almost risk-free,” Resorts World Chief Legal and Strategy Officer Kevin Jones said.

Does Resorts World New York City Have the Edge in License Race?

Since installing video lottery terminals in 2011, the destination has generated more than $4.5 billion in revenue supporting the state’s public education fund. It has also sent over $2 billion in tax revenue to the horse-racing industry and $200 million towards operations of the New York State Lottery.

The operator said if it were to secure a full commercial casino license, these numbers would rise.

“We’re proud to have grown with the Queens community for nearly 15 years,” Genting Americas East President Robert DeSalvio said. “What the CAC heard was a vision for a transformative project that will be a game-changer for this borough, the city, and the state.

“Since Resorts World was granted operations of the Aqueduct site in 2010, we have sought to be a neighbor that Queens deserves, providing 1,000 good union jobs, invested millions of dollars into our neighbors, and built everlasting bonds with the community.

“But we also made them a promise to do more in every sense of the term. Our proposal lays out just how we will.”