Published on: June 2, 2026, 02:03h.
Updated on: June 2, 2026, 02:03h.
- Resorts World contests $150 million yearly obligation to horse racing.
- The casino argues that racing subsidies are already factored into its tax payments.
- Deadline for legislative solutions approaches as session concludes June 10.
Even before Resorts World New York City’s official casino license is finalized, the company is gearing up for a tussle in Albany. The matter at hand involves hundreds of millions owed to New York’s horse-racing sector, as reported by New York Focus.
April marked the launch of the city’s inaugural full-service casino, located in Ozone Park, Queens. The facility features both table games and slot machines, extending the existing VLT-only racino. However, the casino is currently disputing the New York Gaming Commission’s requirement of at least $150 million annually to support the horse racing industry.
The $150 Million Dilemma
Upon legalizing VLT gambling at racetracks in 2001, New York’s lawmakers mandated operators to allocate a portion of their income to aid the financially struggling horse racing sector.
With the later introduction of full-scale casinos in downstate New York, lawmakers preserved these racing-support funds to prevent an abrupt withdrawal of financial backing from the racing community.
Sources informed New York Focus that Resorts World believed these payments would be encapsulated within the taxes it currently pays to the state. However, regulators insist these payments are an additional obligation.
The complexity is heightened as the payment structure was originally designed for three downstate casinos to share the financial load. Presently, Resorts World is the only licensed venue operational, with others still years away from opening.
During the license bidding process, Resorts World agreed to a 56% tax on slot machines—significantly higher than bids from competing casinos. The business contends that the state had assured bidders they wouldn’t be subjected to a different tax framework than they proposed.
A Legislative Solution?
Resorts World has highlighted its billion-dollar contributions to education, horse racing, and public transportation and committed to meeting its financial obligations linked to casino licensure.
In the interim, the casino has been advocating for a legislative amendment to New York’s racing and gaming statutes that would permit the payments to be drawn from the state’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Fund instead of being directly extracted from casino operators.
Initially, Resorts World aimed to have this proposal included in the state budget, but time has run out. Now, with the legislative session concluding on June 10, the casino’s fate hinges on persuading lawmakers to pass the amendment as a last-minute standalone bill.