Qns. jackpot
$400M racino upgrade adds hotel, eateries
THE AQUEDUCT racino is doubling down on its Queens footprint.
Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack is breaking ground on a $400 million expansion Thursday that will include a hotel, restaurants, retail stores and additional slot machines.
The project is expected to generate $200 million in economic activity for the city, including 1,000 jobs at the casino and more than 3,000 construction jobs, casino officials said.
The extension at the South Ozone Park venue is expected to be finished in mid-2019.
“The expansion will serve as an economic engine for our local community and the state, create more good-paying jobs for local residents, and generate significant revenue for New York State’s Lottery Education Fund,” said Scott Molina, president of Resorts World Casino New York City.
The centerpiece will include a 400-room four-star hotel with luxury suites “that will rival Manhattan’s finest accommodations,” casino officials said.
It will also contain four new dining spots, with one manned by a yet-to-be named celebrity chef. The revamped gambling hub will include retail stores that will give “customers access to locally produced goods,” casino officials said.
The expansion has always been part of Resorts World’s Malaysian parent company Genting’s idea for the location.
After years of delays and political scandals tied to other operators, the parlor with more than 5,000 video slot machines opened in October 2011.
Genting New York gave $380 million to the cash-strapped state for the right to run the lucrative gambling hub as part of the deal.
Since its opening, the racino has pumped in more than $1.9 billion to the state’s Lottery Education Fund, records show.
It has become a popular spot for gamblers, according to state records.
Customers dropped more than $20 billion on games at the casino in the past fiscal year, according to the state Gaming Commission. Over that same period, they won approximately $19 billion, the records reveal.
The site is the highest-grossing slots casino in the world, Resorts World officials said.
The expansion is supported by many of the elected officials in the area, including Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., state Assemblywoman Stacey Amato and Councilman Eric Ulrich.
“The expansion of the first and only casino in the City of New York is yet another indicator of the growth underway here in Queens,” Katz said in a statement.