Resorts World Catskills has announced the location for its video lottery terminal facility in New York state. The operator is now considering space inside the Newburgh Mall for its gambling venue. A former Bon-Ton department store will be renovated to accommodate the gambling machines, with traffic flowing into the facility from Interstate 84 and 87.
New Facility
Genting Group is a Malaysia based company that is behind the casino resort. In a recent statement, Genting said that developing a video gaming facility in Orange County has been the goal of the company for many years.
The new property will create hundreds of jobs that will pay well as well as be unionized. The gaming facility will create significant revenues for the public schools in the state and help to ensure the sustainability of Resorts World Catskills for the long-term.
Video lottery terminals will be installed at the new site, a gaming option that is like classic slot or table games. The terminals are connected to a centralized system that is controlled by the state Gaming Commission. The system tracks gameplay as well as earnings of each game.
The option to offer the VLT games comes from the history of Genting in New York State. The company used a subsidiary to acquire the Monticello Raceway back in 1996. The site offered the VLT machines until Resorts World launched services in 2018.
Empire Resorts is the subsidiary of Genting and is the parent company of Resorts World Catskills. They were allowed to move the VLT games to a new location after obtaining approval from the Gaming Commission.
Empire closed the VLTs once Resorts World was in operation and began looking for a location to launch a new venue with the machines. It took some time, but the executives of the company feel that the Newburgh Mall is the perfect location.
New Take on Casino Gaming
In the past, most people expect to enjoy casino gaming in a large facility by itself. However, smaller buildings are now being created to house gaming options such as VLTs or become home to satellite casinos.
These new facilities are popping up everywhere and often times, malls are being considered as locations. For decades, malls were specifically used for shopping and dining, with people traveling to the locations every weekend for fun. However, with the development of online shopping over the years plus the pandemic starting last year, malls are becoming a thing of the past.
Casino operators see malls as a good option for gaming. The spaces of retail stores are quite large and the bones are there. Plus, you have locations near dining options and shopping. Players are likely to go have a meal then stop by a gaming facility to play a bit before heading home.
In the state of Pennsylvania, three casinos are opening up in mall locations. Live! Casino Pittsburgh opened in 2020 at the Westmoreland Mall. Penn National Gaming is working on Hollywood Casino York at a former Sears location. Bally’s is working on a casino at the Nittany Mall.
Operators in Virginia and other states are also working towards using malls as casino locations. It is interesting to see this new method of construction as smaller gaming venues are being created around the United States.
