Rapper Nas, a partner in the expansion, cast the first dice following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The facility in South Ozone Park is a multi-billion-dollar expansion of the Aqueduct Race Track’s existing casino. It has more than 240 table games, including blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette. Brian O’Dwyer, the chairman of the New York State Gaming Commission, previously said the casino will create hundreds of new jobs. Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, which operates major gaming and hospitality properties in the Northeast, said Resorts World New York City has now doubled its workforce, with more expected over the next three years. The table games are part of the first phase. The $5 billion expansion project includes adding an additional hotel wing, a 7,000-seat entertainment venue, an indoor day club with pools, a spa and much more.
The project also includes a $2 million donation toward the completion of The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, scheduled to open later this year. Two other casinos were approved alongside Resorts World: Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park in Queens and Bally’s Bronx, both expected to open in 2030.
The full $5.5 billion development will eventually feature 2,000 hotel rooms, 6,000 slot machines, and 800 gaming tables across the entire property. Resorts World’s opening marks the end of New York City’s 400-year history without a commercial casino, and Nas made sure he’d be the one to write that new chapter.