Regulations for table games were approved on Tuesday by the New York State Gaming Commission, helping to clear the way for four new full-scale casinos to open in Upstate New York.
The commission’s approval and newly established regulations govern table games including but not limited to blackjack, roulette, poker, and craps as well as operational aspects such as shuffling and dealing cards, according to The Daily Gazette.
The four casinos approved for gaming licenses in the state include Lago Resort & Casino located in Tyre, Seneca County; Montreign Resort Casino in Thompson, Sullivan County; and Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady. The final casino license was approved on August 30, 2016, when Tioga Downs Racing & Entertainment, located in Nichols, New York was officially approved by the commission after breaking ground a year earlier upon site approval and license recommendation by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board.
The rules approved by the Gaming Commission not only provide comprehensive regulations on table games but also define dozens of gambling terms. Rules specific to card shuffling and dealing by automated machine as well as human dealers are also included. Once the new rules are published in the state register, they will go into effect.
The first of the four casinos set to open is Tioga Downs. Located in the Southern Tier, the video lottery terminal (VLT) casino and race track is expanding into a full-fledged Las Vegas-style resort casino. In September this year construction began on a new 161 room hotel and event center for the facility, and in October new slot machines began arriving in anticipation of being able to offer them at the current facility beginning as early as this month.
Jeff Gural, the facility’s owner, said the new casino could open as early as Nov. 16. He said, “Physically the place is done,” and, “The slots are going in, the table games are there,” according to the Associated Press. That will happen after the new rules are formally published, a final certificate of operation is issued by the Gaming Commission, and Tioga Downs’ employees receive their licenses.
On October 24, Gural’s American Racing & Entertainment, LLC announced that they had closed on financing for the facility. The expansion is expected to cost $134 million and will result in a full-service casino and hotel with slot machines, Las Vegas style gaming tables, and entertainment amenities.