New York’s first casino in a shopping mall opened on December 28 in the upstate New York town of Newburgh. The Resorts World Hudson Valley Casino debuted in the Newburgh Mall a little more than 60 miles from New York City.
Meghan Taylor, vice president of Resorts World New York, told reporters that she was thrilled for the mall, which has seen numerous store closings.
“We are so excited about this property and delivering the product to the community that we committed to back when we first started talking about this,” Taylor said.
She added that more than $50 million had been invested in the 90,000 square-foot casino and added 250 jobs. The casino features more than 1,200 slot machines and electronic table games, two full bars and sports betting.
“Here at Resorts World Hudson Valley, it is truly a local destination and really a convenience play almost,” Taylor said. “So, our location, being right at the intersection of (Highways) 84 and 87 makes the facility extremely accessible.”
Town of Newburgh Supervisor Gilbert Piaquadio told reporters the casino will be a great addition to the town.
“People that work local, tend to buy local, granted we all buy on the internet anymore, too, but overall, you’re still gonna spend your money in the local restaurants,” Piaquadio said.
According to Piaquadio, the town will receive $3 million annually from the casino as a part of a host agreement. He said tourism will also be beneficial to the area.
“Whenever hotels start getting more guests, again, it increases the economy all the way for the town and the community,” Piaquadio said.
Pennsylvania was the first state in the U.S. to have casinos in shopping malls. It was a way to give a boost to a sector of the economy that had seen hard times in recent years.
That was certainly the case at the Newburgh Mall. Sears, one of the store’s anchors, had closed, and there were an increasing number of empty stores.
One item the casino doesn’t have is dining, but if the approximately 1,000 people who waited outside to be the first inside on opening day is any indication, restaurants will soon be looking for space at the mall.
“Now that you have the customer base, there will be the restaurants, and maybe shops, jewelry stores, that type of thing that usually follows a casino,” Piaquadio said. “That will really help the owner of the mall stay above water.”
