Del Lago Resort and Casino cuts the ribbon

It's opening day for the USD 440M del Lago Resort and Casino. It's been years in the making, but it's an exciting day for developers and officials as they hope the new facility will act as a gateway to the Finger Lakers.

"We're very excited, we've hired over than 1,500 team members, and they're ready to welcome everybody when they come through the doors," said Jeff Babinksi, del Lago vice president and general manager. "We've hired almost 78 percent of our team members from within the region and various counties, 20 percent came from Seneca County. We're going to generate a lot of tax revenue to the state."

The new casino features 2,000 slot machines, ranging from penny slots to $25 games. In addition, the casino boasts 89 table games featuring 12 poker tables and six restaurants, including the Farmer's Market Buffet and Savor New York gift store, which both highlight locally grown foods and goods. Plus, a player's card will help keep track of perks and points attained over time.

"First and foremost you'll want to get one from our players club, and it's really easy," Babinski said. "All you do is you go up to a slot machine or sit down at a table, you insert your card into the slot machine, enter your pin number and start earning points."
The connected hotel features more than 200 rooms, a banquet facility and spa.

"I'm excited for the community, who has been really excited about the property and it looks amazing," Babinski said.

The new casino is one of four Upstate casinos awarded licenses after New York authorized state-regulated gambling facilities in 2013.