New York City’s gambling landscape shifted in a major way this week as a long-running slots venue in Queens officially transformed into the city’s first full casino with live table games.
The expanded Resorts World New York City, located near Aqueduct Racetrack and John F. Kennedy International Airport, opened Tuesday with a ceremonial dice roll and a newly built gaming floor featuring more than 200 live-dealer tables. Blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette are now available alongside more than 2,500 slot machines already operating at the site.
The opening marks the first time traditional table games have been offered within New York City limits, a milestone for a market that had previously required gamblers to travel upstate or to neighboring states for that experience.
The Queens facility has operated for more than a decade as a “racino,” offering only slot-style video lottery terminals. Its transition to a full-scale casino follows the awarding of new downstate gaming licenses, positioning Resorts World as the first of three approved projects to begin operations. Other planned casino developments in Queens and the Bronx remain years away.
A bigger vision taking shape
Company officials say the launch is just the first phase of a much larger plan. The operator, Genting Americas East, has outlined a $5.5 billion expansion that would turn the site into a full resort destination. Plans include a hotel, additional gaming space, restaurants, a 7,000-seat entertainment venue and more than a dozen acres of public green space.
With our planned $5.5 billion expansion, this is only the beginning of something much bigger for Resorts World and for New York,” said Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, according to the Associated Press.
NYC’s casino competition begins to take shape
The opening ceremony drew local officials and public figures, including rapper Nas, who joined executives in rolling the first dice to mark the launch.
The project arrives as New York pushes to expand legalized gambling in the downstate region. State regulators approved three casino licenses in late 2025, aiming to generate tax revenue and economic activity while bringing casino-style gaming closer to the city’s population.
For now, Resorts World has a significant head start. Competing proposals, including an $8.1 billion casino complex near Citi Field and a $4 billion development in the Bronx, are still in earlier stages and are not expected to open for several years.
Queens casino takes early lead in downstate rollout
That timing gives the Queens casino a unique window as the only full-service gaming venue in the nation’s largest city. Company leaders say more table games and slot machines will be added later this year as operations ramp up.
The debut marks a turning point for New York City, where full-scale casino gambling has long been debated but is now becoming a reality.
