Six months in, Resorts World NYC is expanding capacity but revenue remains flat

Resorts World New York City has recorded roughly six months of commercial casino trading and is averaging about $30 million in gross gaming revenue per week from May through early November 2026, according to New York State Gaming Commission data. Weekly GGR over that period has ranged between $27 million and $32 million, even as the property increased its installed base of slot machines and table games substantially.

Capacity has grown, weekly revenue has not

Resorts World opened its full commercial operations with approximately 2,500 slots and 240 tables, and has expanded to nearly 4,000 slots and 350 tables in the six-month period. The operator plans a gradual build-out to as many as 6,000 slots and 800 tables, though the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board noted that Resorts World submitted a configuration of 4,635 slots and 534 tables in its licence application.

On-the-ground metrics show mixed dynamics. Average win per slot unit per day fell from $1,505 in the first week of operations to about $700 currently. Promotional credits paid by the property rose from a weekly average of $700,000 in the opening months to over $1,700,000 per week at present. Despite those changes, slot GGR has held in a narrow band of $19 million to $22 million per week.

Table game revenue has not trended upward with capacity additions. In the third week of October Resorts World reported $12.2 million in table GGR from 242 table units. In the following two weeks, with 301 and 345 tables respectively, table GGR was below $10.5 million on both occasions.

Performance versus projections and tax positioning

Resorts World was the most ambitious bidder during New York's licensing round, both in its revenue projections and its proposed tax structure. The operator estimated that by 2031, when all three downstate licencees are operational, annual GGR at Resorts World would be between $2.7 billion and $3 billion. The Gaming Facility Location Board judged those projections to “significantly exceed” competing bidders and the state's internal analysis, attributing the gap primarily to assumptions about tourism and high-end play.

At the current pace—around $1.5 billion annualised GGR—the company's 2031 estimates imply nearly a doubling of revenue with two nearby competitors in place. Those competitors, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park and Bally's Bronx, submitted more conservative forecasts and proposed lower tax rates. Resorts World is currently paying 56% on slots and 30% on tables. Bally's committed to 30% on slots and 10% on tables, while Metropolitan Park committed to 25% on slots and 10% on tables. Both Bally's Bronx and Hard Rock Metropolitan Park are projected to open in 2030.

The Gaming Facility Location Board also warned that Resorts World's $5.5 billion expansion and renovation plan “relies heavily on future operating cash flow and future debt financing.” The board added that if performance “falls below projections or if additional debt cannot be secured,” the project could face “funding shortfalls, potentially requiring further capital support to complete the project from its parent, an affiliate, or third parties.”

Ongoing dispute over the racing levy and effective tax rate

A separate but material issue for the property is a disagreement between Resorts World and the State of New York over whether the casino's 56% slot levy was intended to include the horse-racing purse support payments. State officials and Governor Kathy Hochul's administration treat the slot levy as distinct from racing obligations, which would amount to $150 million or more per year if billed separately.

Governor Hochul's spokesperson Gordon Tepper told New York Focus that “By law, tax rates do not, and have never, included racing support payments.” Resorts World has argued that its 56% commitment included the racing levy and warned that separate racing costs would push its effective rate to over 70%, a level the company said would be untenable for business and lending. Resorts World spokesperson Stefan Friedman told the outlet the parties were "having constructive conversations" about how to "build on our successful partnership," while declining to say whether the project would be scaled back or cancelled if the tax issue is not resolved in its favour.

State lawmakers adopted a stop-gap measure over the summer to ensure the racing industry continued to receive payments, but the fundamental disagreement remained unresolved as of early September.

Racing ties, sponsorships and local tracks

Resorts World New York City sits on the grounds of Aqueduct Racetrack; Aqueduct closed in June 2026. The New York Racing Association depends on sponsorships and other revenue to fund purses. Resorts World sponsored the Resorts World Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in August; the Grade I, 7-furlong race for Fillies and Mares was won by Ways and Means, a 5-year-old mare owned by Klaravich Stables.

Ways and Means later captured the Fillies & Mare Sprint on 31 Oct. at the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Belmont Park reopened after a $550 million facelift that had closed the venue for several years, and will host the 2027 Breeders Cup World Championship; Belmont's fall meeting in 2026 carries $17.7 million in total purses, including the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

What the numbers show now

The first six months of Resorts World New York City trading present a paradox: rapid growth in machine and table counts alongside flat aggregate revenue metrics. Weekly GGR averaging about $30 million is the headline fact. Slot-level yield and promotional spend have shifted materially; table revenue has not scaled with unit additions. The property and the state remain at odds over the treatment of racing payments, and the Gaming Facility Location Board has flagged financing risk tied to lower-than-projected operating cash flow.

"By law, tax rates do not, and have never, included racing support payments," Gordon Tepper, spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul, told New York Focus.

Resorts World spokesperson Stefan Friedman said the parties are "having constructive conversations" about how to "build on our successful partnership."