First Poker Room Set to Open Inside a New York Casino

Resorts World New York City is located in Queens, near JFK Airport. The facility switched to full casino operations in April and launched live table games. Now the casino plans to open a poker room, which is expected to open its doors by the end of the year.

PokerNews visited the facility this month and saw the live table games area. On the third and top floor, games such as three-card poker, blackjack and baccarat are offered. Table staff directed questions about the poker room to Resorts World's public relations department. The department did not respond to an email or a phone call.

However, several people told PokerNews that the poker room plans are real and that the room could open in December. An r/poker post claims the opening date is December 17. The same post claims the 30-table room will take a 10 percent rake, with the rake capped at $10.

Because casinos were banned in New York for years, poker players had to travel long distances to play. Borgata in Atlantic City and Foxwoods in Connecticut were the destinations players preferred. At Borgata's $1/$3 game, a 10 percent rake is taken, capped at $6. The claimed rake rate is higher than the standard accepted across the US, but similar to some large rooms in the Northeast. Will players pay a higher rake and play at home, or will they choose to make the two-hour drive to Atlantic City?