Casino News Roundup: NYC's First Casino Opens & Graton's $1bn Expansion Rolls On
Welcome to the Casino Daily News Roundup - your morning briefing on the latest news from the global casino industry. Every day, we bring you the biggest stories from across the sector, covering everything from major business deals and revenue figures to new openings and regulatory developments. Stay ahead of the industry with all the news you need, right here.
New York City's First Full Casino Set To Open As Resorts World Prepares For Historic Launch
New York City is on the verge of a landmark moment in its gaming history.
Resorts World New York City is preparing to open the Big Apple's first full commercial casino.
The Genting-operated property at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens received its commercial gaming license from the New York State Gaming Commission in December.
The expanded facility - featuring hundreds of live table games - has been targeted for launch this month.
The scale of the project is hard to overstate. Resorts World's $7.5billion proposal for the 72-acre Aqueduct site envisions one of the largest integrated resorts in the US.
Plans include a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor, up to 2,000 hotel rooms, and a 7,000-seat entertainment venue.
The immediate opening covers only the first phase. The full project is not expected to reach completion until 2031.
Even so, players will access hundreds of live table games in New York City for the first time - a milestone more than 15 years in the making, according to Genting Americas East President Robert DeSalvio.
The financial implications for New York State are significant. Resorts World has committed $2.5bn to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority over the next four years.
The wider project is projected to generate over $5bn in revenue for the state within four years. More than 5,000 permanent jobs will be created in Queens.
To prepare for opening, the operator has already hired and trained up to 2,000 employees for the first phase alone.
Resorts World is not the only new casino coming to New York City. The Gaming Commission also awarded licenses to Hard Rock Metropolitan Park in Queens and the Bally's project in the Bronx.
But it will be the first to open, with competitors not expected to welcome guests until around 2030.
According to the American Gaming Association, commercial gaming revenue across the US hit a record $6.74bn in January 2026 alone - underlining the strength of the market Resorts World is now entering.
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Graton Resort Kicks Off $1bn Expansion With 430 New Hires And Three New Restaurants
California's Graton Resort and Casino is pushing ahead with the next phase of its $1bn expansion.
Three brand-new dining venues will open on May 4 at the Rohnert Park property. The flagship addition is Aya - a 28,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant designed by the Rockwell Group at a cost of $40m.
The menu centers on coastal California cuisine with Asian influences and features a $1m wine cellar. Joining it will be Playbook Sports Bar and Soco Dough, an artisanal doughnut and dessert concept.
To support the expansion, Graton is hiring more than 430 employees, including 160 culinary and food and beverage professionals.
The casino currently employs around 2,440 workers. That number is expected to grow to 3,200 by the time the full expansion is complete.
Also opening on May 4 is a new 144,000-square-foot fully non-smoking gaming floor. Graton has its sights set on becoming the North Bay's largest private employer.
With a new hotel tower and a 3,500-seat entertainment venue also in the pipeline, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria's flagship property is redefining what a tribal resort casino can look like.
Florida Gambling Reform Stalls As Landmark Bills Fail To Cross The Finish Line
Florida's 2026 legislative session ended on March 13 without a single gambling reform bill becoming law.
The state's regulatory framework remains unchanged. A number of significant legal gray areas - particularly around online gambling - are left unresolved.
The most closely watched measure, Senate Bill 1580, cleared the Senate unanimously and was amended and passed by the House.
But with only two days left before the session ended, the Senate never brought the revised version back to a vote. The bill died on the legislative calendar.
A second proposal, House Bill 189 - a sweeping 100-page overhaul of Florida's gaming statutes - advanced through three committee hearings before running out of road.
The bill had sought to address online gambling alongside unlicensed gaming machines, but political disagreements over its impact on slot machines operated by fraternal organizations proved too difficult to resolve in time.
With no new framework in place, online gambling and sweepstakes-style casinos remain in regulatory limbo for now.
The debate is expected to resurface when Florida's lawmakers reconvene.
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Caesars Takeover Saga Continues As Industry Braces For M&A Wave
The potential sale of Caesars Entertainment continues to dominate US casino headlines.
Weekend reports from CNBC confirmed that Tilman Fertitta's Fertitta Entertainment remains in active negotiations with the Las Vegas gaming giant.
Current deal terms stand at $32 per share.
That gives an equity value of $6.5bn and a total enterprise value of around $31.5bn once Caesars' substantial debt is factored in. A finalized deal is not expected before early April, with a full close anticipated in 2027.
If negotiations succeed, Fertitta - currently serving as US Ambassador to Italy and San Marino - would add more than 50 Caesars resorts and casinos to his existing empire.
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who submitted a competing offer of around $33 per share, remains in the picture should Fertitta walk away.
Analysts at Truist Securities and CBRE have suggested a completed deal could trigger a wider wave of consolidation across the sector.
Questions remain around how regulators will view Fertitta's existing minority stake in Wynn Resorts and whether that complicates any approval process.
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