Resorts World New York City presents $5.5b casino plan

Resorts World New York City has presented its ambitious $5.5 billion proposal to the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), as part of its aim to acquire one of three available casino licenses. 

The ambitious plan would transform the existing gaming facility at the Aqueduct site in Queens into the biggest single-largest entertainment facility out of all eight proposals on the table. 

The 5,600,000sq.ft integrated resort will comprise 6,000 slot machines, 800 gaming tables, 2,000 hotel rooms, a 7,000-seat arena, and more than 7,000 parking spaces.  

It would also be serviced by more than 30 food and beverage outlets, a spa, and more than 12 acres of open green space for the wider community.

Genting-owned Resorts World New York City has pledged to have the site up and running by July 2026, just 12 months from now, indicating its bold vision and desire to develop the site.

Despite this, it is expected the site will not be fully operational until 2030.

“We’re proud to have grown with the Queens community for nearly 15 years,  said Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East.

“What the CAC heard today 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 neighbour that Queens deserves, providing 1,000 good union jobs, investing millions of dollars into our neighbours, and building everlasting bonds with the community. But we also made them a promise to do more in every sense of the term, and today’s proposal lays out just how we will.”

Big things are coming