Empire City Casino in Yonkers remained resilient in the second quarter even after Resorts World New York City began offering live table games in Queens in April. Empire City’s gross gaming revenue rose 4.5% from a year earlier, while Resorts World’s GGR climbed 61.9% in April and May of the quarter.
Jefferies analyst David Katz said the two properties can still grow in parallel because they both serve the broader New York City market and are separated by dense population and about an hour of drive time. He also said both assets can expand ahead of the two additional New York City commercial casinos, which are currently set to open in 2030.
Resorts World officially opened live table games on April 28, with 242 live table games and 2,507 commercial slots opening at the same time. The casino said the move marked the first time live table gaming had ever operated in New York City.
The timing mattered because Empire City had once been considered a leading contender for one of the three downstate casinos New York awarded. MGM later withdrew from that competition last October and kept Empire City as a slots-only venue.
Resorts World said the number of tables and commercial slot machines will double with the progressive opening of the ground and first gaming floors later in the year.
