Resorts World New York City kicked off the next phase of its casino expansion this week, opening 1,400 additional slot machines to the public just a day before officials broke ground on a $5 billion buildout that will eventually make the Queens property the largest integrated gaming resort in the country.
The slot machine rollout adds meaningful capacity to a property that already ranks among the busiest gaming venues in the region, and it arrives as Resorts World transitions from a slots-and-video-lottery racino into a full-scale commercial casino following its December 2025 licensure by the New York State Gaming Commission.
What’s Coming Next at the Queens Casino
The construction phase that began this week centers on a second 400-room Hyatt hotel tower and a new luxury Crockfords hotel, joining the existing 400-room Hyatt Regency that opened in 2021. Renderings obtained by the New York Post show the expanded complex will also include a 7,000-person concert arena, giving the Aqueduct Racetrack site in Ozone Park and Jamaica a genuine entertainment-district feel rather than just a gaming floor.
Genting, which owns and operates Resorts World New York City, won one of three coveted downstate casino licenses in December 2025 after a competitive, years-long bidding process that also saw the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board advance Bally’s Bronx project and the Metropolitan Park proposal in Queens. Resorts World’s winning bid was valued at roughly $7.5 billion in total investment, including a $600 million license fee — $100 million above the state’s required minimum — and pledges tied to community benefits and mass transit funding.
Why Resorts World Moved Fastest
Unlike its two competing projects, which aren’t expected to open until closer to 2030, Resorts World already had a functioning racino on-site, giving it a head start most rivals couldn’t match. State officials specifically cited that readiness when awarding the license, noting Resorts World’s proposal was the only one capable of expanding operations within roughly 90 days of approval. Live table games went online at the property in April, and this week’s 1,400-slot expansion continues that rapid scale-up toward full Las Vegas-style gaming, including sports betting.
The broader $5 billion buildout is projected to push the property to 350,000 square feet of gaming and convention space and roughly 2,000 hotel rooms once complete, positioning it as the largest hotel in New York City. State projections tied to the downstate casino licenses estimate the three approved projects combined could generate around $7 billion in gaming tax revenue between 2027 and 2036, with proceeds split primarily between the MTA and New York’s Department of Education.
For bettors who already frequent the property or are weighing New York’s expanding sportsbook and casino options, the timeline suggests Resorts World’s newest amenities — and eventually full sports betting integration — will keep arriving well ahead of its downstate rivals.
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