Resorts World New York City breaks ground on on Phase Two

Sports & Media Academy to open three years ahead of schedule in new central location; hotel tower to add 400 rooms to existing Hyatt Regency

Resorts World New York City has doubled down on the speed of its massive $5.5bn first-of-its-kind integrated resort, officially breaking ground on Phase Two of the project less than three months after the property’s grand opening. 

“In less than three months after opening our doors as the first casino in New York City’s history, we are already moving towards a day when the city will have a first-of-its-kind integrated resort,” said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Executive Chairman of the Genting Group. “Not only are we keeping every commitment we made in our proposal to the state, but we are running well ahead of schedule in starting to build outside of our existing building.”

Elements of Phase Two that will get started after today’s groundbreaking include the development of an additional 400-room hotel tower to add on to the current Hyatt Regency.

The Kenny “The Jet” Sports and Media Complex which will open three years earlier than initially pledged and shift to the middle of the Resorts World campus to be more accessible to the entirety of the project.

A 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena and 1,200 additional hotel rooms under the luxury Crockfords brand, the central plaza and a state-of-the-art parking garage.

The full expansion is projected to create 10,000 jobs, including an estimated 5,000 union construction jobs, and will add 2 million square feet of new gaming, entertainment, dining, retail, and convention space to the existing one-million-square-foot property.

“The excitement around this project hasn’t stopped since the day we submitted our bid,” said Robert DeSalvio, President, Genting Americas East. “It carried us through our licensing process and through the first 12 weeks of operating New York City’s first live table games. Today, that same excitement is present as we break ground on Phase Two, which will bring new infrastructure, new parking, and the next wave of hotel rooms that will support two million square feet of new gaming, entertainment, and hospitality space in the years ahead. 

With just two floors of gaming operation opened since opening on April 28, Resorts World has increased tax and racing support payment by over 30 per cent compared with the same period last year, paying $170 million in casino taxes and racing support in the first 12 weeks of operation.  

With these numbers, Resorts World New York City is already the largest casino in the United States in terms of Gross Gaming Revenue.

Further, with the addition of 1,400 slot machines on July 21 and more gaming tables by the end of the year, RWNYC is expected to significantly grow casino tax and racing support payments to a billion dollars a year, including $425 million for education, $425 million for the MTA and $150 million in support for the state’s horse-racing industry.

To put this into perspective: the states of New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania each currently generate approximately $1 billion annually in commercial casino tax revenue from all of their casinos. Resorts World New York City, as a single property, is projected to generate approximately $1 billion in annual casino tax revenue…On its own.

Resorts World New York City has operated in Southeast Queens for 15 years and is New York State’s largest taxpayer. The property employs approximately 2,500 people, more than half of them Queens County residents, and has invested more than $1.1 billion in Southeast Queens, generated more than $5 billion for the State’s public education system, and welcomes an average of 5 million guests annually.

“Today’s historic groundbreaking is about delivering for Queens families who have long deserved good-paying union job opportunities, safe spaces for their children to grow and world-class entertainment all right in their own borough. That’s exactly what we’re delivering for our neighbors with Phase 2 of Resorts World’s expansion,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “In real time, we are leveling the playing field when it comes to prosperity and culture. It has been an honor to partner with Resorts World on bringing this community-centered expansion to life and I look forward to the ribbon cutting in the not-too-distant future.”

“One of the things that excites me most about today’s groundbreaking is the continued investment in our young people,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato. “The Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith Sports & Media Academy will provide pathways into industries that many students never imagined were within reach, while the surrounding development continues creating jobs and economic opportunity for local families. This project isn’t simply expanding a destination—it’s expanding opportunity for the next generation,” 

“For far too long, Southeast Queens has watched major investments happen elsewhere. Resorts World has helped change that reality by making this community a destination for jobs, tourism, and economic growth,” said New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. “Every new hotel room, entertainment venue, and community amenity strengthens our local economy and creates opportunities for residents and small businesses alike. Today’s groundbreaking is another significant investment in the future of Southeast Queens.”

“The success of a project like this is measured by whether promises become reality. Resorts World has built a reputation over the past 15 years as a dependable partner that invests in Queens, supports local organisations, creates union jobs, and follows through on its commitments. Today’s groundbreaking represents another important step in a long-term vision that will benefit our community, our workforce, and New York City’s economy for decades to come,” said New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.