Resorts World has estimated that it will send $2.5 billion to the MTA over the next four years if it is awarded one of the coveted downstate gaming licenses by the state in December.
Resorts World, which has operated a racino in South Ozone Park for the last 14 years, offering electronic gambling machines but no live table games, has long been considered one of the frontrunners to receive one of up to three downstate gaming licenses on offer from the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board.
The Resorts World bid is one of three bids remaining in the race to obtain one of the coveted licenses alongside fellow Queens project Metropolitan Park and a Bally’s project in the Bronx.
Resorts World, however, insists that it stands apart from the other two bids because it would be ready to begin casino operations by as early as March next year assuming it receives a license, while the other two greenfield proposals would take several years to build the necessary infrastructure if they receive a license.
The Resorts World team said the casino would be operational four years before either Metropolitan Park or Bally’s opened their doors, stating that the casino would generate roughly $2.5 billion in revenue for the MTA in that four-year period.
The bid has committed $600 million to its license fee — $100 million more than is required by the state — with 100% of that fee going toward the city’s transit agency. Both Metropolitan Park and the Bally’s would also pay a $500 million license fee if they were awarded a license, which would also go toward the MTA.
However, if Resorts World does obtain a license, it will generate a further $1.9 billion for the MTA through tax revenue generated between 2026 and 2030, representatives for the bid said.
Tax from gaming revenue at any downstate casino will be almost evenly split between education and transit, with Resorts World anticipating that it will generate enough revenue in that four-year period to ensure that $1.9 billion goes to the MTA.
Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, the entity overseeing the Resorts World development, said the estimated tax revenue showcases how Resorts World can have a transformative impact on both South Ozone Park and New York City at large.
“This is not just a casino expansion. It’s a transformative economic development project that will keep New York City moving in every way,” DeSalvio said in a statement. “Resorts World New York City is the only bidder who can deliver a steady flow of new revenue for the MTA starting in 2026.”
Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer-Amato said the forecasted tax revenue highlights how the Resorts World bid can make a difference in the city.
“The fact that Resorts World’s expansion can provide this much support to the MTA on its own is a testament to the leadership we’ve seen from them for 14 years,” Pheffer-Amato said in a statement.
Community Board 10 Chair Betty Bratton also welcomed the anticipated revenue and praised Resorts World for its partnership with the local community since opening in 2011.
“They’ve engaged the community every step of the way to improve accessibility at Aqueduct. Now, they stand to take that to an entirely new level,” Bratton said in a statement.
The MTA has not yet returned a request for comment.
Resorts World also anticipates that it will generate $2 billion in tax revenue for education across New York over the four-year period and said it has already contributed almost $5 billion to the state education system since opening its doors in 2011.
Resorts World has outlined a whopping $5.5 billion proposal to transform the existing racino into a sprawling 5.6 million square-foot development that the gaming company says will create thousands of jobs, generate expansive public amenities and deliver new, inclusive growth for southeast Queens. It has also pledged a further $2 billion in community benefits.
The new integrated resort would see Resorts World’s current workforce expand from 1,000 existing employees to 5,000 permanent jobs across gaming, hospitality, food and beverage, security, maintenance and other fields.
Resorts World has stated that more than half of the new hires would come from Queens alone, with all workers due to begin work within the first six months of commercial casino operations.
The project would also create an estimated 5,000 union construction jobs to help build out the integrated resort, which will feature a 500,000 square-foot gaming floor comprising more than 6,000 slot machines and 800 table games. The resort would additionally feature 2,000 hotel rooms, a 7,000-seat entertainment venue, over 30 food and beverage outlets and more than 7,000 parking spaces.
