NY: Resorts World Catskills and Tioga Downs to reduce number of slots

The New York State Gaming Commission granted Monday a request by Resorts World Catskills and Tioga Downs, which have struggled to meet revenue projections in their first years in operation, to lower the number of slot machines in their premises.

The commission said it found that by allowing the casinos to remove some slot machines, it would let the casinos "maximize the efficiency of asset utilization and patron opportunity without negative effects on the patron experience, facility employment or state revenue."

Still, the move is another sign the upstate casinos have struggled to meet expectations.

Resorts World, which opened in February 2018 in Thompson, Sullivan County, had been required to have a minimum of 2,150 slot machines on its 90,000 square-foot gaming floor.

The agreement Monday will require it to have a minimum of 1,600 slot machines, or 26 percent fewer than initially mandated, Democrat and Chronicle reports.

That will move Resorts World, which was the most expensive of the four upstate casinos, under the number of slots at del Lago in the Finger Lakes, which has about 1,950. Rivers Casino in Schenectady has 1,150 slot machines.

Tioga Downs gets to drop its slot-machine requirement from 942 slots to 892 slots, or a 5.3 percent drop, according to the Gaming Commission.

The decline in slot machines at Resorts World comes just two months after its owner, Empire Resorts, said it would close its video-gaming parlor at nearby Monticello Raceway in late April. That facility has about 1,100 video-lottery terminals.

Brad Maione, spokesman for the Gaming Commission, said the decision was made by the state after finding the casinos had met their promised capital investments in their properties.

The change also will not impact state gaming revenue or employment levels at either property.

"It is common industry practice to adjust the number of slot and tables assets and configurations after opening, based on market conditions," he said.