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Less than three months after becoming New York City’s first full-scale commercial casino, Resorts World New York City is expanding again. The Queens property has reopened its first-floor gaming area with 1,400 additional slot machines, increasing its total number of slot machines to 3,900.
The expansion marks the latest phase of Resorts World’s growth following its commercial casino license approval in December 2025 and comes as Genting Group moves forward with a planned $5.5 billion redevelopment of the Aqueduct Racetrack site.
Resorts World becomes NYC’s first commercial casino
Resorts World New York City launched live table games in April 2026 after operating for more than a decade as a slots-only video lottery terminal facility. The property received one of three downstate commercial casino licenses awarded by New York in December 2025, allowing it to transition into a full-scale casino operation.
The casino now offers more than 240 live table games across multiple floors, including blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette. The resort also includes the 400-room Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York City, as well as several restaurants and entertainment venues.
Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said the additional slot machines will help Resorts World accommodate more guests while increasing gaming tax revenue for New York.
“Our slot machines have been a hit with the public since day one, pulling in more than $230 million in gross gaming revenue over just 11 weeks,” DeSalvio said in the company’s announcement.
The early performance of its slot operations helped drive the decision to expand the gaming floor, according to Resorts World.
Dragon Den adds Aristocrat slot titles and $1M progressive
The newly reopened first floor features Dragon Den, a dedicated gaming area featuring 114 slot titles from Aristocrat Gaming.
The area includes 48 machines from the company’s Dragon Link series, progressive jackpot slots that can reach $1 million.
The addition expands Resorts World’s slot lineup as competition grows in New York’s newly developing commercial casino market.
Resorts World’s $5.5 billion redevelopment plan
The new slot machines represent the first phase of Genting’s broader $5.5 billion redevelopment plan for Resorts World New York City.
The long-term project calls for:
- Expanding the casino floor to 350,000 square feet by 2030
- Approximately 6,000 slot machines
- 800 live table games
- A 7,000-seat entertainment venue
- About 2,000 additional hotel rooms
- More than 10 acres of publicly accessible green space
Resorts World currently employs about 2,200 workers. The company has said the expansion could create between 500 and 2,700 additional jobs by the end of summer.
The property generates nearly $1 billion annually in gross gaming revenue and attracts an estimated 5 million visitors each year. Since opening in 2011, Resorts World said it has contributed more than $5 billion to New York’s public education system.
As part of its agreement with New York, Resorts World has also committed $2.5 billion toward Metropolitan Transportation Authority projects and $2 billion for community benefits programs, according to a RWNYC press release.
Other NYC casino projects remain years away
New York awarded three downstate commercial casino licenses in December 2025. The other winning proposals were Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International’s Metropolitan Park project near Citi Field and Bally’s planned casino resort at Ferry Point in the Bronx.
Both projects are still several years away from opening, giving Resorts World a significant head start as New York City’s commercial casino market takes shape.
State officials have projected that the three approved casinos could generate up to $7 billion in gaming tax revenue over the next decade.
