Resorts World Catskills has confirmed to the Business Journal that it is planning to propose opening a commercial gaming venue at the Newburgh Mall, a shopping center that is on Route 300 near Interstates 84 and 87.
A 68,000-square-foot former Bon-Ton department store would be renovated into a video gaming machine facility that would be equipped with devices that display graphics looking similar to mechanical slot machines. There also would be other types of video machines that replicate the table games played in fully-licensed casinos.
The mall was opened in 1980 and was bought in 2017 for $7.7 million after having faced financial difficulties for several years. The mall’s directory shows 47 active businesses on the site.
Resorts World said in a statement, “Developing a VGM facility in Orange County has, for many years, been part of Resorts World’s long-term vision for Hudson Valley and the Catskills. It will create hundreds of good-paying union jobs, generate significant revenue for New York’s public schools, and is an important step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Resorts World Catskills.”
A spokesperson for Resorts World told the Business Journal that construction would take approximately six to 12 months after plans have received final approvals. The number of video terminals to be available for play at the site has not been determined yet, but Resorts World anticipates that when open the facility will have from 200 to 225 employees. It estimates that 200 construction jobs would be created.
Resorts World Catskills is operated by parent company Empire Resorts, which in turn is a subsidiary of the Genting Group, based in Malaysia. Leisure and hospitality are only part of the Genting Group’s activities, which include the fields of energy, property development, life sciences and biotechnology.
Empire Resorts’ wholly-owned subsidiary Monticello Raceway Management Inc., owns and operates the Monticello Casino and Raceway, a video gaming machine and harness racing facility in Sullivan County. It’s a 230-acre property that includes a gaming and entertainment complex with 1,110 video machines on a 45,000-square foot gaming floor with a separate area for high-stakes machines.
