Cuomo gives casinos OK to open
Resorts World, others can resume operations, with restrictions, Sept. 9
New York state’s four nontribal casinos, including Resorts World Catskills in Sullivan County, can reopen Sept. 9, albeit with numerous restrictions.
Capacity will be limited to 25%, patrons must wear masks, and air-filtration systems must meet state standards, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a tweet Thursday. Also, no table games will be allowed at the outset, the Post-Standard of Syracuse reported.
Bob DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, the majority shareholder of Resorts World owner Empire Resorts, said in a prepared statement: “The Resorts World team has been anxiously awaiting the day when we can open our doors again . ... We have implemented a plan to seamlessly integrate the ... excitement, entertainment and luxury that guests have come to expect with the more stringent health protocols that are needed to operate safely.”
Besides Resorts World — which opened in February 2018 at the site of the former Concord Resort Hotel — the privately run Las Vegas-style casinos in New York state are del Lago, west of Syracuse; Rivers, in Schenectady; and Tioga Downs, in the Southern Tier. All four have been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, worsening what already were disappointing financial results for the gaming halls.
Empire Resorts lost more than $240 million
during Resorts World’s first two years of operation.
New York state also is home to several casinos operated by Native American tribes. Those already have reopened.