Casino group Genting Malaysia Bhd says it expects to open the first phase of the expansion of its Resorts World New York City (RWNYC) complex by “the second quarter of 2026”.
The RWNYC property (pictured) in Queens, New York City, is currently an electronic gaming venue. It would be upgraded and expanded as a full-scale casino resort.
The New York State Gaming Commission voted on Monday to award full casino licences to three sets of investors for downstate New York, including to Genting New York LLC, a unit of Genting Malaysia.
Genting New York’s proposal entails a US$5.5-billion expansion up to 2030 of the existing venue, and a US$600-million upfront licence fee, in exchange for a 30-year licence.
Previously, the casino group said the enlarged resort could “begin operations as early as March 2026” as a full-service gaming complex.
Genting Malaysia said it would “make the necessary announcements should there be further material developments” in relation to the expansion of the RWNYC complex.
According to Maybank Investment Bank Bhd, RWNYC “plans to open a new permanent casino featuring 4,000 slot machines and 250 table games by June 2026”
“An additional 150 tables are expected to be added by January 2027 in existing space, bringing the total number of table games to 400. The final casino should allow for 6,000 slots and 800 tables by January 2029,” suggested the institution in a note earlier this month.
Through an affiliated company, Empire Resorts Inc, the Genting group also has casino business interests in upstate New York. Genting Malaysia also has a casino monopoly in Malaysia, and runs venues in the Bahamas, the United Kingdom and Egypt.
The other two projects approved on Monday for downstate New York casino licensing were: Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, with plans for a gaming complex near Citi Field in Flushing, also in Queens; and Bally’s Bronx, under Bally’s Corp.
