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DEL LAGO RESORT & CASINOdel Lago Resort & Casino set to open | 1:07

del Lago Resort & Casino in Tyre opened Feb. 1. (File video) Shawn Dowd, Todd Clausen

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DEL LAGO RESORT & CASINOGambler: I shouldn’t have been in the casino | 1:31

Recovering compulsive gambler Carl DellFave, 59, said there is help and hope for those suffering from addiction. Shawn Dowd, Todd Clausen

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DEL LAGO RESORT & CASINOInside look at del Lago | 0:49

A first inside look at the del Lago Resort & Casino, which opens to the public on Wednesday. Shawn Dowd

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DEL LAGO RESORT & CASINOChef Fabio Viviani previews new Portico restaurant | 1:51

The "Top Chef" alumnus says his new restaurant at del Lago casino will feature the flavors of his native Italy but will source as many ingredients as possible locally. Tracy Schuhmacher and Shawn Dowd

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DEL LAGO RESORT & CASINOSchool teaches new dealers about black jack | 0:58

Kayla Sciarabba, 20, of Geneva, was offered a job by del Lago Resort & Casino after going through a free dealer's program offered by the new Seneca County casino. Todd Clausen

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DEL LAGO RESORT & CASINOFlyover virtual tour: Lago Resort & Casino | 3:50

On Wednesday the state Gaming Facilities Location Board announced recommendations for casinos at three sites, including Tyre, Seneca County, where Wilmorite Inc. is planning to build the $425 million Lago Resort project. Provided video.

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• del Lago Resort & Casino set to open
• Gambler: I shouldn’t have been in the casino
• Inside look at del Lago
• Chef Fabio Viviani previews new Portico restaurant
• School teaches new dealers about black jack
• Flyover virtual tour: Lago Resort & Casino

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One the first day open, guests find tables and machines to play at del Lago Casino. (Photo: Jamie Germano/@jgermano1/Staff Photographer)Buy Photo

Story Highlights

• Casino guests spent $32.9 million on slots and another $3.7 million at table games, records show.
• The del Lago casino backed by businessman Thomas C. Wilmot grossed $3.3 million in six days.
• Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack notices a drop in guests since del Lago opened Feb. 1.

Guests at a new Seneca County casino spent nearly $36.6 million on slots and table games in just six days, according to recently released records from the state Gaming Commission.

The del Lago Resort & Casino off Thruway Exit 41 reported pretax slot machine revenues of nearly $32.9 million and roughly $3.7 million more spent at the casino’s 77 table games from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5.

The figures include activity on Jan. 31, when the casino held a soft opening, but excludes the amount spent at 12 poker tables, which was not provided.

During that time, del Lago generated roughly $3.3 million in pretax gambling revenue after paying out winnings. The casino’s 2,001 slot machines had an average daily payout of $252.

Those numbers smashed those of the smaller Tioga Downs, which opened late last year and saw roughly $10 million spent in its first three-and-a-half days leading to a pretax gross of nearly $828,000.

Del Lago General Manager Jeff Babinski added that roughly $800,000 in jackpots, with the largest totaling $50,000, have been paid out through early Sunday.

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"We have had an incredible first week in business and we are appreciative to everyone who has come out," Babinski said in an email. "We have had a steady flow of excited guests since we opened our doors."

Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack, located less than 30 miles west of del Lago, has seen a drop-off since the casino’s opening, said Steve Martin, a spokesman for Finger Lakes.

Finger Lakes, operated by Delaware North, has about 1,550 video lottery terminals. It grossed $129 million in its 2015-2016 fiscal year, paying out 69 percent in taxes to the state and another 10 percent to support purses for thoroughbred racing.

"We have seen a decline in customer traffic and revenue since del Lago's opening as expected, however the true impact will not be determined for several months as they continue to open various amenities and further develop their marketing," said Martin.

State leaders, officials with Delaware North, a union representing 1,200 workers and others have been in talks to further protect purses at the racetrack, long feared in danger by the presence of a new full-fledged casino.

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del Lago Resort & Casino in Tyre opened Feb. 1. (File video) Shawn Dowd, Todd Clausen

State Sen. Rich Funke, R-Perinton, introduced legislation calling on the state to give $3 million to support the track with monies for a Thoroughbred Breeding and Development fund.

The racetrack has yet to announce an opening date or the number of days it will hold racing for the upcoming season.

Del Lago was one of four to receive a license after New Yorkers voted to allow casinos in a statewide referendum in 2013. The casino was backed by Pittsford resident and local mall mogul Thomas C. Wilmot and Brent Stevens of Peninsula Pacific.

The property opened on Feb. 1, with a 205-room hotel still under construction and slated to open sometime during the summer. The casino expects to serve roughly 3.2 million guests and gross $263 million in its first year.

Under state law, the casino pays a tax rate of 37 percent on its gross gambling revenues from slot machines and 10 percent from table games. Those taxes will be split, with the majority going to the state. Other tax money will go to the town of Tyre, Seneca County, and other counties.

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