New York Post
Let’s make a deal — and roll the dice.
Buoyed by a successful first year, officials at the Aqueduct casino said they’re ready to expand from a slots operator into a full-fledged gambling facility that offers “live” table games.
“We’re not done yet,” New York Resorts World president Michael Speller said at the ceremony marking the Queens casino’s first anniversary.
“Table games would create a large number of jobs. Tens of thousands of jobs [statewide],” Speller said.
With Gov. Cuomo’s backing, New Yorkers will likely get the opportunity next fall to vote on whether to legalize up to seven Vegas-style casinos throughout the state. The Legislature must approve the measure before it appears on the ballot.
The big debate will be where these seven casinos will be located. Aqueduct’s Resorts World wants one of the licenses to operate table games, but other operators, such as Las Vegas Sands Co., have talked about opening one in Manhattan.
Speller said Resorts World always envisioned adding dealers to cut the cards or roll the roulette wheel. The facility was designed to accommodate such an expansion “in very short order,” he said.
Gamblers have wagered more than $11 billion at the Big A, making it the largest slot operator in the country.