Resorts World Hudson Valley Casino to Open in New York Mall

Posted on: December 13, 2022, 06:56h. 

Last updated on: January 3, 2023, 05:57h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More

Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

New York’s newest gaming venue is set to open later this month. On Monday, officials from Genting announced Resorts World Hudson Valley would celebrate its Grand Opening on December 28.

The 50,000-square-foot facility, located in the Newburgh Mall near the intersection of Interstates 84 and 87 in downstate New York, is about 50 miles north of New York City. According to a Resorts World statement, the $50 million development will feature 1,200 video lottery terminals and electronic table games.

While the property won’t host a brick-and-mortar sportsbook – New York state law only allows full-fledged casinos to have those – it will have a sports bar tied with the Resorts World Bet brand. Resorts World Bet is one of nine operators licensed to take bets in New York.

Resorts World Hudson Valley represents a shared vision that we, along with our partners in Orange County, had to create an entertainment destination that will attract hundreds of thousands of guests and visitors, while providing tremendous benefits to the local, regional and statewide community,” said Robert DeSalvio, president, Genting Americas East.

The Newburgh casino will be Genting’s third in New York. It also operates Resorts World New York City, a VLT gaming venue at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, and Resorts World Catskills Monticello, a full-fledged casino located about 45 miles west of Newburgh.

Last year, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) approved Resorts World’s request to transfer its old VLT license in Monticello to open the Newburgh site.

Casino Expected to Spur Growth in Mall

Both Genting and local officials are hopeful the new casino will boost the region’s economy.

Resorts World Hudson Valley will employ 250 workers, who are expected to earn an average annual wage of $72K in salary and benefits. Genting also expects its Hudson Valley property to generate $65 million in taxes annually, with those taxes going toward the state public school system.

Both the company and Orange County expect the casino to boost the local economy in Newburgh. In its release, Genting described the casino as giving a “halo effect” inside the mall, meaning it will benefit current tenants and also help the mall attract new ones.

Back in September, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said Resorts World would be a transformational project and make the mall an “entertainment destination” in the region.

“Hopefully, there’ll be some restaurants and other places popping up around there, or at least generating some activity to the restaurants that exist in the nearby corridor,” Neuhaus said in a Facebook video.

Genting Eyeing NYC Casino

While the Genting gets ready to open its newest property, the company is almost assuredly not done wanting to expand in New York.

If approved for such a license, Genting would be able to replace the VLT machines with slot machines and switch out the electronic table games for live dealer games. It also would be allowed to open a retail sportsbook on the property. The company would likely make additional changes or upgrades to the site to help attract more visitors.

Competition for the licenses, which are expected to be awarded to downstate sites, is expected to be fierce. The New York State Gaming Commission isn’t expected to announce license winners until sometime later in 2023, at the earliest.