Table games coming to New York City

• Resorts World is New York City’s only casino, but it can only offer slot machines and electronic table games
• Under state law, full-fledged Las Vegas-style casinos with dealers, live table games and sports-betting are banned in southern New York (“downstate”) until 2023
• The prohibition was passed in 2013 to allow four northern New York (“upstate”) casinos time to become established
• There is a push underway to remove the moratorium ahead of 2023 to help boost the state's overall revenue

A woman who has been a security guard at Resorts World Casino for ten years says the job has changed her life.

The New York State Legislature is considering expanding Resorts World’s casino operations. The guard says the potential windfall could bring more valuable jobs to the area.

“That would mean a lot for the community, especially the expansion, because that means more jobs, especially during a time like this with a pandemic,” said the guard, who lives nearby in Brooklyn.

Resorts World is New York City’s only casino, but it can only offer slot machines and electronic table games. There is a similar casino in the city of Yonkers, just outside New York City.

Under state law, full-fledged Las Vegas-style casinos with dealers, real table games and sports betting opportunities are banned downstate until 2023. The prohibition was enacted eight years ago to allow four upstate casinos time to become established.

Presently, only machine advantage players have any interest in Resorts World. But that will change if the proposed expansion happens, as card counters at blackjack and other types of advantage players will potentially have a new location to ply their trade.

“We are in an extremely different time in 2021, post-pandemic, where the state is dying for an economic boost,” said Meghan Taylor, the vice president of Government Affairs and Public Relations for the Resorts World Casino.

Once the moratorium expires, the state can authorize as many as three full-scale casinos downstate. Resorts World officials say because this casino is already established, it can become a full-scale casino virtually overnight.

“What that means is thousands of jobs being created almost immediately, and those thousands of jobs are for communities or really would be in communities that are in need of quality, high-paying jobs,” said Taylor.

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently said he didn’t want to make a “knee jerk reaction,” allowing full-scale casinos to open downstate prior to 2023.

Senator Joseph Addabbo, who chairs the New York State Gaming Committee and whose district includes the Resorts World Casino, said, with the state facing a multibillion-dollar deficit due to the pandemic, the casinos can provide needed tax revenue and jobs.

“Now is the time to obtain these one, two or three remaining gaming licenses in New York and not wait until the year 2023. To provide a transparent and credible process, which we could realize these expedited three gaming licenses this year,” said Addabbo.

At Resorts World, construction is nearly complete on its 400-room Hyatt Regency Hotel. Staff hope if a gaming license is secured, the Queens casino will become a property similar to a Las Vegas casino.

Advantage players will be watching.

Source:

“Could Queens be Home to the City’s First Vegas-Style Casino?” , Clodagh McGowan, ny1.com, March 15, 2021.