Rivers Casino & Resort to open in early 2017

Greg Carlin Rush Street Gaming CEO informed that the USD 330M property is expected to open in early 2017.

Foundation work already is underway on the Rivers Casino, a joint venture between Rush Street and Galesi, on the 60-acre old Alco site off Erie Boulevard, New York. “We’re already under construction here,” said Carlin. “We wanted to open this facility as quickly as possible. Our expected opening date is the first quarter of 2017, assuming the weather cooperates with us. That’s actually ahead of schedule.”

During the ceremonial groundbreaking on the Mohawk Harbor site held on Wednesday morning, Carlin was joined by other Rush Street Gaming officials, along with representatives from the Galesi Group, local officials and community leaders.

Mary Cheeks, general manager of Rivers Casino, said the casino would feature 1,150 slot machines, 63 table games, 15 poker tables and an adjacent 163-room hotel. The casino hotel name has not yet been announced. “The casino will also offer new food and beverage options, including a marketplace, a steakhouse along with an outdoor patio, entertainment lounge, day spa, banquet facility and plenty of waterfront green space,” explained Cheeks.

Cheeks, who now serves as CFO of Rush Street’s Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, said the operator’s search for employees in the area would start immediately. The casino is projected to create 1,400 construction jobs and 1,200 permanent jobs, according to Rush.

“We’re putting out all of our jobs online within the next two to three weeks,” added Cheeks. “We have to understand our workforce to develop training programs.” she said a website specifically targeted for Rivers Casino employment would be up and running by the end of the month.

Rush Street is partnering with Schenectady County Community College on a dealer-training program. Carlin said Rush would bring a “small number” of employees from other Rush Street casinos to work at the new Schenectady casino, but that most employees will come from the region.