South Queens, NY - New York State Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, who was recently appointed Chair of the Resorts World New York City Community Advisory Committee, is encouraging members of the community to voice their opinion on the proposed expansion of Resorts World Casino in Ozone Park at two public hearings. The casino is applying for one of three (3) downstate full gaming licenses that were approved through State legislation. Currently, Resorts World has electric table games and slot machines. However, through this licensing process, the only casino in NYC is looking to expand the casino to operate live table games and eventually a full-fledged event space. In total, the license would allow for 6,000 slot machines, 800 gaming tables, 2,000 hotel rooms, a 7,000-seat arena, over 7,000 parking spaces, over 30 food and beverage outlets, and over a dozen acres of community greenspace. Resorts World says, “it is poised to become not only the premier integrated resort in the United States, but also one of the best in the world.”

This expansion is estimated to generate 5,000 new/permanent union jobs. Since 2011, Resorts World has contributed $4.5 billion to the NYS education system and invested $1.1 billion directly into South Queens. They have also been praised for their extensive community partnership through career fairs, participating in civic events, and providing meals during the holiday season. According to recent data, the current median wage at Resorts World NYC is $39 per hour, annualized at more than $80,000. 

“During this process, the Community Advisory Committee will have the ability to listen to the opinions of the entire community. It is important to me, as Chair, to hear from everyone. By listening to all the participants, we will be able to advocate to the NYS Gaming Commission about the desires of the neighborhood and the interest in potentially expanding the opportunities at Resorts World,” said Chair Pheffer Amato. The Committee serves in an advisory capacity and does not make the final approval for a full gaming license – yet they are in the position to correctly express the overall desire of the community which will play a factor in the final decision-making process.

The first public hearing will be on Wednesday, August 20 from 10am-2pm at Queens Borough Hall (120-55 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens). There is no need to register to speak at the hearing, but it is a first come first serve basis. In addition to testifying in person, people are invited to send their written testimony by email to ResortsWorldNYCPublicComment@nystec.com or by mail to Resorts World NYC Community Advisory Committee c/o NYSTEC​, Attn: CAC Consultant Team​ , 540 Broadway​ 3rd Floor​ , Albany, New York 12207.  There will be another public hearing on Monday, September 14 starting at 4pm also at Queens Borough Hall.