New York casino hopes to bring economic boost

The Center Square
 
New York casino hopes to bring economic boost
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(The Center Square) – A new casino will soon open in New York, with the announcement of the grand opening of Resorts World Hudson Valley on Dec. 28.

The casino will feature 1,200 video lottery terminals and electronic table game stations across 50,000 square feet of the Newburgh Mall in Orange County, roughly 50 miles north of New York City.

Genting Group, which owns and operates Resorts World casinos, and Orange County officials have high hopes for the $50 million Newburgh casino. They believe it will help transform the mall into a regional destination and help attract additional tenants to the shopping center.

“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 Genting Americas East President Robert DeSalvio.

One of the benefits for the Lower Hudson Valley region will be high-paying jobs. According to a release from the casino, it will employ 250 full-time workers who will make an average annual salary of $72,000.

While Orange County’s 2.2% unemployment rate in October far exceeds the state’s 4.4% jobless rate, there are still signs the county is still recovering from the pandemic.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Orange County’s civilian labor force was 190,646 for the month of October. That number has dropped every month since July’s total of 192,929. In addition, Orange County’s pre-pandemic workforce high was 195,922, which came in July 2019.

Resorts World Hudson Valley will be the third property for Genting in New York. It also operates Resorts World New York City, a VLT casino at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, and Resorts World Catskills, a full-fledged casino resort in Monticello.

Resorts World Catskills is one of four state-licensed casino resorts in upstate New York. The four venues offer Las Vegas-style slot machines, live-dealer table games and a brick-and-mortar sportsbook. Resorts World Hudson Valley will be the state’s ninth licensed VLT gaming center, which cannot host live table games or a retail sportsbook, although Hudson Valley patrons can use the Resorts World mobile sports betting app in the sports bar at the new facility.

Genting officials estimate Resorts World Hudson Valley will generate $65 million in tax revenue annually to help fund public education in the state. The company’s casinos have provided more than $3.6 billion in state tax money since 2011.