A look inside the Resorts World Catskills casino, under construction and opening soon in Monticello Jan. 25, 2018. Peter Carr/The Journal News
Gaming room at Resorts World Catskills casino, under construction in Monticello Jan. 25, 2018.(Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News)
ALBANY -- The $1.2 billion Resorts World Catskills opens its doors to the public for the first time at 8 a.m. Thursday, making it the largest full-scale casino in New York and bringing hope that it can revive the region's once robust tourism industry.
The 18-story, gleaming hotel tower in Thompson, Sullivan County, is part of the 1.6 million-square-foot resort on property that was once home to the Concord Hotel during the Borscht Belt-era of the Catskills.
"Nestled among the beauty of the Catskills, Resorts World Catskills Casino Hotel will offer an unmatched experience in excitement, entertainment, and luxury," the owner, Empire Resorts, says on its website.
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Buy PhotoResorts World Catskills casino, under construction in Monticello Jan. 25, 2018. (Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News)
Here's what to know about the newest addition to New York's crowded gaming market:
What you'll see
Resorts World Catskills will open with 150 table games and 2,150 slot machines. In comparison, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway has 5,222 video-lottery terminals, as well as electronic table games.
But Resorts World is hoping to offer more than another slots parlor, trying to cater to high rollers as well as people seeking a weekend getaway.
It's just 90 miles from New York City.
The hotel tower has 332 all-suite rooms, as well as villas with their own pools for big spenders on a separate floor. High rollers can even get their own private gambling rooms with a butler.
It has also has two pools and two fitness centers, and a gambling wing tailored to Asian customers. The hotel will open with about 100 rooms available, with the rest coming opening sometime next month.
A food court will open Thursday, too, with more fine dining options opening in the coming weeks -- including an Asian restaurant and a steakhouse.
There is a parking garage and surface lot with 2,800 spots, as well as a multi-purpose convention center for events and concerts.
It has two entertainment bars in the casino and a sports bar -- which will ready to convert to a sports-betting book, if New York ultimately legalizes it.
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What's to come
The casino and hotel is costing about $900 million. The rest is still under construction.
By year's end, it will have an entertainment village with shopping and more hotel rooms, geared more toward families.
Then in early 2019, an indoor waterpark and hotel are set to open on the property. It is being run by the owners of the Poconos' Camelback Resort, and it will be called the Kartrite Hotel & Indoor Waterpark.
“We’re building upon the family-focused thrills and amenities that have made Camelback Resort & Aquatopia a premier destination in the Pocono Mountains,” Arthur Berry III, a co-owner of the new waterpark, said last month.
Also in 2019, the old "Monster" golf course at the Concord will reopen, this time as a redesigned Rees Jones course.
Why was it built?
Voters in November 2013 approved at a referendum the legalization of up to seven private casinos in New York.
The state Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo passed a separate law to put the first four upstate.
So in December 2014, Resorts World Catskills was one of three of 16 bidders awarded a casino license -- with the other two in Schenectady and the Finger Lakes. A fourth license was ultimately awarded to the existing Tioga Downs racetrack in the Southern Tier.
The selection of Resorts World was a bit of a surprise: The most lucrative plans were considered ones in Orange County, which is even closer to New York City.
But the state siting board chose Resorts World, saying it would provide the biggest boost to the economically depressed Catskills.
Buy PhotoResorts World Catskills casino, under construction in Monticello Jan. 25, 2018. (Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News)
Who owns it?
Empire Resorts is owned primarily by billionaire KT Lim, the chairman of the Malaysia-based Genting, which is one of the world's casino giants.
Genting owns Resorts World New York City in Queens -- the largest gaming hall in the country.
Empire Resorts beat out a competing bid from MGM Grand on an adjacent property in Thompson.
The company also own Monticello Raceway -- the harness track that has been in operation since 1958.
There were questions about what would happen to Monticello Raceway with the new casino, but Empire said it will keep it open -- focusing on the local market with its racing and 1,110 video-lottery terminals.
Not only that, Resorts World Catskills is partnering with local vendors and attractions, such as Woodbury Commons outlet mall and the Bethel Woods performing arts center, to expand visitors' experience.
Now what?
Resorts World enters a nearly saturated gaming market in the Northeast.
It will make it the 20th casino or racetrack with video-lottery terminals in New York. By March 1, that will include a seventh casino run by Native-American tribes across upstate.
The two other upstate casinos that opened a year ago failed to meet initial projections.
Buy PhotoGaming room at Resorts World Catskills casino, under construction in Monticello Jan. 25, 2018. (Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News)
While Resorts World hopes to pull largely from the New York City market, that is already a tough climate with Empire City and Aqueduct in Queens as well as casinos in neighboring states.
"A significant amount of casino supply already exists within a 200 mile radius of where Resorts World Catskills will be located," Moody's Investor Services said in a report last month.
"Resorts World Catskills will be competing for customers with other large, established competitors in New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut."
But the casino's supporters and owners are confident it will succeed, helping to restore a region that once had more than 500 hotels and bungalow colonies.
"It is an integrated resort model. It’s a not a regional casino model," Charles Degliomini, the casino's executive vice president, said last month.
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