New York City’s first full-scale casino with live table games opened to gamblers Tuesday, more than a decade after voters approved an expansion of gambling in the state.
Resorts World, owned by Malaysia-based company Genting, beat out gaming giants such as Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts to land one of three new casino licenses.
It’s the first to launch because it was already operating a slots and electronic gambling facility, one of the most profitable in the world. Resorts World New York City is adjacent to the Aqueduct Racetrack and just a few miles away from John F. Kennedy International Airport.
“We got the license Dec. 15, and here we are, April 28 welcoming our guests to the new casino floor,” Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said in an interview.
Lim Kok Thay, executive chairman of Genting Bhd, center, takes a ceremonial first dice roll alongside rapper Nasir “Nas” bin Olu Dara Jones, center right, and Donovan Richards Jr., Queens borough president, third right, at Resorts World New York City (RWNYC) casino in the Queens borough of New York, US, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Adam Gray | Bloomberg | Getty Images
To run roulette, craps, baccarat and blackjack, Resorts World recruited some dealers from casinos in other states. But it also is running a kind of dealer college, training locals to handle the table action.
The company says the current expansion has already created more than 1,200 new jobs, with another 500 new hires anticipated by this summer.
Though it’s not yet open, the company is also building a sportsbook, which will be the city’s first.
“We have hit the jackpot, Queens!” pronounced Borough President Donovan Richards at the ceremonial opening.
“I have always dreamt of Queens being an international entertainment hub, and this certainly is part of that puzzle,” Richards said.
Queens-raised hip-hop star Nas is a partner in the project and performed at the opening.
“This is just the beginning. So this is about to expand and do things that everyone’s going to be excited about. So Queens is where it’s at,” he told CNBC.
The project has faced criticism, as some locals are concerned about a potential rise in crime and traffic as a result of the development.
For now, the casino will have a city monopoly, for which it says it’s paying 63% state taxes on slots revenue and 30% on table game revenue. In its bid for a license, the company included a clause that stipulates its tax rate will lower to the levels its competitors pay once they’re up and running.
It will take years for the other casinos to open. Bally’s is building a casino on a Bronx golf course purchased from The Trump Organization. Meanwhile, Hard Rock has planned a massive development in partnership with hedge fund manager and Mets owner Steve Cohen near Citi Field, where the baseball team plays.
The three companies were selected by the state’s gambling commission in 2025 following a years-long process to award licenses to New York’s downstate region following an approved 2013 referendum.
The state says the three casinos could produce $7 billion in gaming tax revenue over a decade and CBRE projects annual gaming revenues at maturity of up to $5.6 billion under a bull case scenario.
“We are changing the landscape of New York forever with a building that will never close,” said Kevin Jones, chief strategy officer of Resorts World New York.
