The transition of New York’s Tioga Downs from a harness track with machine games to a full-out casino was unveiled to the public on Friday.
The property, located in south-central New York just west of Binghamton, is one of four outlying casino licenses the government awarded following a 2013 voter referendum that amended the state Constitution to permit a dramatic expansion of gambling. The other licensees are Del Lago Resort and Casino, which has set a February 1 opening in the Finger Lakes region west of Syracuse, Montreign Resort Casino in the Catskills and Rivers Casino & Resort in the northeast near Schenectady.
“This has been a long journey, but one that I have stated from the beginning is an important one for the people of the Southern Tier. We have created a lot of additional jobs, revenue and opportunity for the region as well as benefitting local businesses and nonprofit organizations,” said Jeffrey Gural, chairman of Tioga Downs owner American Racing and Entertainment.
The company has invested $200 million to expand the existing racino into a 32,600-square-foot casino with 798 machine games and 33 live table games. Plans are in the works to add a 160-room hotel, a spa, more restaurants and a venue for exhibitions and events.
The $440 million Del Lago will feature 2,000 machine games and 85 tables in a casino of 12,400 square feet, an array of restaurants, including a food court, and an arena with seating for 2,400. A 205-room hotel and spa are slated to be added next year.
“February 1 will be a day that so many people in the Finger Lakes region have been waiting for, and we are excited to officially announce our opening day,” said Jeff Babinski, Del Lago’s executive vice president and general manager.
