Resorts World NYC Expansion: Inside the $5.5 Billion Phase Two Groundbreaking

Resorts World New York City broke ground on phase two of its $5.5 billion expansion on July 22, 2026, adding a 400-room hotel tower and a 7,000-seat entertainment venue to a project that has already added 1,400 slot machines and seen weekly table game revenue more than double since its April launch. The Queens property, owned by Malaysia's Genting Group, is racing to become the largest casino in the United States by the time the full build-out finishes around 2030, and the numbers from its first few months of expanded gaming suggest the bet is paying off.

Key facts: Resorts World NYC's expansion at a glance

• Total planned investment: $5.5 billion
• New slot machines added on the expanded first-floor gaming area: 1,400, including 114 Aristocrat titles and 48 Dragon Link machines in a new "Dragon Den" section
• Total slot machines on site after the addition: roughly 3,900, en route to 6,000 at full build-out
• Gross gaming revenue from slots in the first 11 weeks of the expanded floor: $230 million
• Live table games launched: April 28, 2026
• Final planned casino floor: 350,000 square feet with 800 live table games
• Also planned: 2,000 hotel rooms, a 7,000-seat entertainment venue and more than 10 acres of public green space
• Phase two groundbreaking: July 22, 2026, covering a new 400-room hotel tower and the entertainment venue

What is Resorts World NYC's $5.5 billion expansion?

It is a multi-phase transformation of the Queens racino, near Aqueduct Racetrack, from a slots-and-electronic-table venue into a full-scale commercial casino resort. Genting Americas East, the Genting Group subsidiary that runs the property, is funding the build-out after Resorts World NYC won one of New York State's three downstate commercial casino licenses. The plan folds in a bigger gaming floor, a new hotel tower, an entertainment venue and public green space, with commercial casino gaming, including live table games, only having launched at the site in the spring of 2026.

How many slot machines did Resorts World NYC just add?

The property added 1,400 new slot machines to an expanded first-floor gaming area, including 114 Aristocrat titles and 48 Dragon Link machines housed in a newly built "Dragon Den" section. That brings the total slot count on site to approximately 3,900, with Genting targeting 6,000 machines once the full 350,000-square-foot casino floor is complete.

What happened at the phase two groundbreaking on July 22, 2026?

Resorts World NYC held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 22, 2026 for the next stage of construction, which covers a new 400-room hotel tower and the 7,000-seat entertainment venue outlined in the original $5.5 billion plan. The ceremony follows closely behind the rollout of the expanded slots floor, signalling that Genting is moving through the project's phases in quick succession rather than waiting for one stage to fully mature before starting the next.

How much gaming revenue has Resorts World NYC generated since opening?

The expanded slots floor generated $230 million in gross gaming revenue in its first 11 weeks of operation. Table games, which launched April 28, 2026, have shown even sharper growth: weekly table game revenue was approximately $4.9 million in their debut week and had climbed to more than $10.4 million for the week ending July 12, 2026, according to Gambling Insider's review of the property's performance. Slot revenue has held in a steadier $20 million to $22 million weekly range over the same period.

Metric	Launch week (late April 2026)	Week ending July 12, 2026
Table games weekly revenue	~$4.9 million	>$10.4 million
Slot machines weekly revenue	$20 million to $22 million	$20 million to $22 million (stable)
Combined weekly gaming revenue	~$27.2 million	~$30.8 million

Why is table game revenue growing faster than slots?

Table games are a newer addition to the property, having only gone live on April 28, 2026, whereas the slot floor was already established and generating a steady baseline of revenue. As word spreads that Resorts World NYC now offers live-dealer table gaming, a first for a New York City commercial casino, the property appears to be pulling in table game patrons who previously had to travel to Atlantic City, Connecticut or Pennsylvania for that experience. Slots, by contrast, are already close to their natural demand ceiling at current capacity, which is why that revenue line has plateaued in the $20 million to $22 million weekly band while table games keep climbing.

What will the finished Resorts World NYC casino look like by 2030?

At full build-out, Genting plans a 350,000-square-foot casino floor with 6,000 slot machines and 800 live table games, a 7,000-seat entertainment venue, 2,000 hotel rooms and more than 10 acres of public green space. Genting Americas East President Robert DeSalvio has described the property's ambition as becoming the largest casino in the United States once every phase is complete.

What has Genting Americas said about the expansion?

Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said of the newly added slot machines: "With these 1,400 new games, we will be able to accommodate more patrons and generate even more in taxes." He separately described the reception to the new machines as "incredibly popular" with patrons, framing the expansion as both a commercial and a public-revenue win for the operator and the state.

How much money is the expansion sending to New York's public schools and the MTA?

Resorts World NYC has contributed roughly $5 billion to New York state public education funding since the property first opened in 2011, funded through its share of gaming revenue under New York's video lottery terminal and, more recently, commercial casino tax structures. The $5.5 billion expansion plan also includes a $2.5 billion commitment to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a $2 billion community benefits package, tying the build-out directly to transit funding and neighborhood investment commitments the operator made to secure its downstate casino license.

Is Resorts World NYC now the largest casino in the US?

Not yet. At current capacity, with roughly 3,900 slot machines and a still-expanding table games floor, Resorts World NYC has not overtaken existing US gaming floor leaders. But Genting's stated target of 6,000 slots and 800 table games across a 350,000-square-foot floor by 2030 would put it in contention for the largest casino in the country by gaming positions, depending on how competitors expand over the same period.

How does this compare to other New York commercial casino projects?

Resorts World NYC was one of three operators awarded downstate New York commercial casino licenses, alongside bids tied to other major gaming operators expanding or defending their New York and regional footprints amid ongoing consolidation in US casino ownership, including the special committee MGM Resorts recently formed amid takeover talks. Resorts World NYC has a head start on its rivals because it was already operating as a video lottery terminal racino before winning its full commercial license, giving Genting an existing customer base and site infrastructure to build the $5.5 billion expansion on top of, rather than starting from a greenfield site.

What does this mean for the local Queens community?

The expansion's $2 billion community benefits package and $2.5 billion MTA commitment were central to how Resorts World NYC won local and state support for its commercial casino license in a competitive process. The addition of more than 10 acres of public green space alongside the gaming floor and entertainment venue is aimed at addressing concerns raised during the licensing process about the property's footprint in a residential part of Queens, positioning the project as a mixed-use development rather than a casino in isolation.

"With these 1,400 new games, we will be able to accommodate more patrons and generate even more in taxes." - Robert DeSalvio, President, Genting Americas East

Frequently asked questions

When did Resorts World NYC add live table games?

Live table games launched at Resorts World NYC on April 28, 2026, making it the first full-fledged commercial casino with live table gaming in New York City.

How much has the expanded slots floor earned so far?

The expanded slots floor generated $230 million in gross gaming revenue in its first 11 weeks of operation, according to Gambling Insider.

What is included in phase two of the expansion?

Phase two, which broke ground on July 22, 2026, includes a new 400-room hotel tower and a 7,000-seat entertainment venue.

Who owns Resorts World NYC?

Resorts World NYC is owned and operated by Genting Americas East, a subsidiary of Malaysia's Genting Group.

When is the full $5.5 billion expansion expected to be complete?

Genting has targeted a completion date of around 2030 for the full 350,000-square-foot casino floor, hotel rooms, entertainment venue and green space.

Updated July 2026.