New York City Gets Its First Live Casino Table Games: What Opens at Resorts World on April 28

New York City has had a casino for years. What it has never had — until now — is a dealer standing in front of a felt table, ready to pitch cards. That changes this week. Resorts World New York City, operated by Genting Americas East at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, is opening live table games on April 28, 2026, making it the first commercial casino in the five boroughs to offer real table game play. For anyone who has spent years driving to Atlantic City, taking the train to Connecticut, or waiting for the state to get its act together, this is the moment.

What Took So Long

Resorts World has operated at Aqueduct since 2011, but for the first fifteen years of its existence it was restricted to video lottery terminals and electronic gaming machines. It had more than 6,000 slots and over 1,300 electronic table games — but no live dealers, no felt, no human element. That distinction mattered enormously to serious table game players who specifically seek the experience of a live game.

The path to live tables required a full commercial casino license, a different regulatory category than the VLT license under which Resorts World previously operated. New York State allowed up to three downstate casino licenses to be issued, and Resorts World was one of three properties — alongside Hard Rock Metropolitan Park near Citi Field and Bally’s Bronx at Ferry Point — to receive approval. The state’s Gaming Facility Location Board recommended Resorts World for licensure on December 1, 2025, and the New York State Gaming Commission gave its unanimous final approval on December 15, 2025. That approval unlocked the live table game operation.

What Is Opening April 28

The initial phase of live table games will feature 200 tables on the renovated third floor of the existing Resorts World facility. The core games launching include blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette — the games that drive the majority of table game revenue at most casino properties and the ones that players specifically look for when they think of a real casino floor. The property trained approximately 950 new table game dealers in preparation for the opening.

Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, confirmed the April 28 date and described the expansion as adding 1,250 new jobs in total, bringing Resorts World’s total workforce to 2,200 and eventually more than 2,700 by summer. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include Queens-bred rapper Nas, who backed the Resorts World bid during the licensing process.

Who Owns Resorts World

Resorts World New York City is owned and operated by Genting, a Malaysia-headquartered gaming and hospitality conglomerate with operations across Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Genting New York LLC holds the operating license. The parent company, Genting Malaysia Berhad, has been operating the Queens facility since the original 2011 launch and committed to a $5.5 billion expansion of the Aqueduct site as part of the commercial casino license application. The longer-term buildout envisions a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor, 6,000 slot machines, and 800 live table games — eventually making it one of the largest casino operations in the country outside of Las Vegas.

What This Means for NYC Players Right Now

The practical implication is straightforward: if you are in New York City and want to play a live blackjack hand, spin a roulette wheel, or try your luck at a craps table, you no longer have to leave the city to do it. Resorts World is at 110-00 Rockaway Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, accessible by the A train to Aqueduct-North Conduit Avenue.

This opening arrives while the broader question of New York City’s casino future is still unsettled. The three downstate commercial casino licenses that were awarded — to Resorts World, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, and Bally’s Bronx — represent the beginning of a process. Hard Rock and Bally’s are both ground-up development projects that are not expected to open until around 2030. Resorts World is uniquely positioned to dominate the NYC casino market for the remainder of the decade simply by virtue of being the only property operating live table games.

The Genting Rewards program, which has existed for the property’s VLT operation, will continue as the player loyalty structure for the expanded casino. Members earn points on gaming activity that can be redeemed for dining credits, hotel stays, and free play. With table games now in the mix, the earning structure will expand accordingly.

The Bigger Picture

New York City is the largest metropolitan casino market in the country that has not yet had a full commercial gaming floor. That changes this week. The state’s decision to license three downstate casinos was years in the making, driven by the recognition that New York residents were spending significant money at casinos in neighboring states and that the tax revenues from a commercial casino market would be substantial. The Gaming Facility Location Board estimates that the Resorts World expansion alone could generate $1.7 billion in casino taxes by 2031.

For the player on the ground, none of that matters as much as the simple fact that the tables are open. If you’ve been waiting to try your hand at a craps table without needing to book a room somewhere, April 28 is your day.