New York Casino and Card Room Gaming

Before the expansion of casino gaming, the only games offered in commercial casinos in New York were video lottery terminals (VLTs) and electronic table games (ETGs). The games are regulated by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).

In fall 2013, voters approved the expansion of commercial casino gaming in New York. Up to seven licenses will be awarded. In December 2014, three of the four upstate locations for casinos were selected. The upstate sites in Thompson (in the Catskills), Schenectady (near Albany) and Tyre (Finger Lakes) have a seven-year head start on the downstate sites in and near New York City.

The process to expand the gaming industry in New York began in spring 2012, when New York lawmakers proceeded with a plan to amend the state's constitution to allow commercial casinos. The legislation, referred to as the Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act of 2013, was originally submitted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The deal also authorized two 1,000-machine VLT centers on Long Island to be run by offtrack betting agencies in Suffolk and Nassau counties. It was estimated that ultimately the state could receive $1 billion annually from the casinos. Included in the agreement were a 25% tax levy on the casinos and a $500 fee on each slot machine and table game. In August, the Governor signed the bill, which moved it onto the fall ballot.

In 2012, new legislation was passed to extend the date for another year (April 2012 to April 2013) for VLT facilities to start capital projects. This change prompted the planning of several renovation projects: a hotel, garage and convention center at Tioga Downs Casino; a $27 million renovation and expansion of Batavia Downs Casino; a $12 million expansion at the Finger Lakes Casino & Raceway. In January 2013, the Empire City Casino Yonkers Raceway opened their 66,000-square-foot expansion, which included a 35,000-square-foot gaming floor and 700 VLTs.

The racino and commercial casino expansion is the latest in what has been a steady growth period for gaming in New York.

In 2004, four racetracks began offering VLTs along with pari-mutuel wagering. The impetus for adding VLTs at some New York State racetracks was Governor Pataki's goal to double New York's annual gambling revenue to $4 billion amid fears the state would encounter budget shortages.

In June 2005, Tioga County, which had previously banned VLTs, voted to allow them. Tioga Downs Racetrack opened a new gaming area featuring VLTs on 1 July 2006.

In June 2009, the state legislature legalized ETGs at racinos.

The Aqueduct Racetrack originally planned to open a new 4,500-machine gaming area in late 2007, but the plans were delayed by the slumping economy and an impasse in state legislation. In March 2010, new plans to bring VLTs to Aqueduct fell apart amid allegations of a corrupt bidding process. In June 2010, the state opened a more transparent bidding process, and in August 2010, Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders gave Genting approval to operate 4,500 VLTs at Aqueduct Racetrack. The slot parlor, named Resorts World Casino New York City, opened in October 2011 with 2,300 VLTs and 200 ETGs. The facility added 1,200 VLTs and 400 ETGs in December 2011.

Del Lago Resort and Casino in Tyre opened on 1 February 2017. Rivers Casino and Resort opened on 8 February 2017.

New York's effective tax rate on slot and electronic table game machines is 67%, one of the highest in the nation.

In April 2019, a bid to lift a moratorium on new casino licenses that the state can issue before 2023 failed.

In April 2022, the enacted state budget established a framework for the three remaining downstate commercial casino licenses — the last of the seven licenses authorized by voters in 2013 — opening a competitive licensing process for the New York City metropolitan area. Manhattan proposals at Times Square, Hudson Yards, and other sites were rejected or withdrawn following community opposition. MGM Empire City (the existing racino in Yonkers) also withdrew its application.

On December 1, 2025, the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board unanimously recommended all three remaining finalists — Resorts World New York City (Genting Group, South Ozone Park, Queens), Metropolitan Park (Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, Citi Field, Queens), and Bally's (Bally's Corporation, Ferry Point, Bronx) — to the full Gaming Commission for licensing approval. On December 15, 2025, the New York State Gaming Commission formally approved all three licenses, completing the downstate casino licensing process. Each licensee will pay a $500 million license fee, totaling $1.5 billion directed to the MTA and public education. The three projects are projected to generate an estimated $7 billion in gaming tax revenue and $5.9 billion in additional taxes (hotel, sales) between 2027 and 2036.

Resorts World New York City, which already operates approximately 6,500 gaming machines at the existing South Ozone Park facility, plans to expand to full-service table games as early as March 2026 under a $7.5 billion proposal. Metropolitan Park and Bally's are both expected to begin construction shortly and target opening by approximately 2030. The Metropolitan Park project involves a 50-acre transformation of Citi Field parking lots featuring a $5.3 billion casino complex, 1,000-key hotel, 5,600-seat entertainment venue, and 25-acre public park. The Bally's Ferry Point project involves a $4 billion development at the site of a former Trump Organization golf course in the Bronx, for which Bally's must pay the Trump Organization $115 million if the license is retained.