In New York, the situation at the new Rivers Casino And Resort Schenectady has reportedly calmed after the venue’s opening on Wednesday saw thousands of players turn up to enjoy the 1,150 slots and 67 gaming tables on offer.
According the a report from The Daily Gazette newspaper, every one of the 1,800 on-site parking spaces were filled for the premiere of the $330 million Schenectady casino on February 8 while police were even called in to help direct traffic through a roundabout leading up to the property.
However, the newspaper reported that Thursday saw a more tranquil scene inside the Rush Street Gaming-operated casino as a steady but less substantial stream of players braved a winter storm to enjoy games of blackjack, craps, roulette and poker.
“Things are definitely more calm today,” one unidentified member of the casino’s staff told The Daily Gazette on Thursday.
The newspaper reported that Thursday, unlike the previous day, saw most of the slots at Rivers Casino And Resort Schenectady available although several hundred players occupied the 50,000 sq ft gaming floor while the dedicated poker room remained mostly full.
“It’s not so overwhelming [as] I heard yesterday it was hard to move around,” one Thursday player told The Daily Gazette.
Most of those who had attended the opening day reported enjoying their time although some had complained about crowds, particularly around the gaming tables and in the marketplace dining area.
“You always need to make certain adjustments,” Neil Bluhm, Chairman for Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, which also operates the Rivers Casino Pittsburgh as well as the SugarHouse Casino and Rivers Casino Des Plaines, told The Daily Gazette. “We just need to make sure we’re doing a good job in keeping our customers happy.”
Rivers Casino And Resort Schenectady was one of three upstate New York casinos to be awarded with licenses in 2015 while fellow newcomer the Del Lago Resort And Casino, which is located between the cities of Syracuse and Rochester, welcomed its first players on February 1. The third of the new gambling enterprises, the $1.2 billion Montreign Resort Casino in Sullivan County, is expected to open in March complete with an 80,000 sq ft casino featuring some 2,150 slots alongside 102 gaming tables.
“It’s good to see what people are playing and what they like,” Greg Carlin, Chief Executive Officer for Rush Street Gaming, told The Daily Gazette. “We make adjustments based on people’s preferences.”