1st legal 'racino' draws crowd at Aqueduct

Some waited as long as three hours in lines that rivaled a rock concert to be the first to visit the first legalized "racino" in New York City.

About 20,000 people showed up, officials said, at Aqueduct Racetrack Friday in Ozone Park, Queens, for the opening of the Resorts World Casino New York City, the closest racino to Long Island.

New York police officers managed the massive lines of people waiting to get in from two ends of the building, while upstairs, in the Times Square Casino, almost every seat was taken and the floor was clogged with people.

In Vegas style, the resort hired Elvis, Tina Turner and Lady Gaga look-alikes to walk the floor. The centerpiece of the casino was a giant circular bar with a 30-foot television screen and a lounge that backed up to sweeping views of the track.

"Tourists go to Las Vegas for one thing," Assemb. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) said. "They come to New York for everything, and now they really have everything. This casino has a big advantage in bringing people from Suffolk County out here. Atlantic City is far away, but you can come here and do a day trip."

The new site, which opens after a decade of controversy, features 2,280 video lottery terminals, basically video slot machines, and 205 electronic table games, video versions of roulette, blackjack and poker.

When the 5th Avenue Casino opens on the third floor this winter, the facility will have about 5,000 lottery terminals, 500 electronic table games, 18 food and beverage courts, two restaurants, a Vegas-style buffet, four VIP lounges, a huge circular bar and a theater for acts.

"I'm so excited! I love it!" said Ana Cusu, 57, a Serbian immigrant who lives in Glendale, Queens. "I go to Atlantic City, but it's too far away."

The casino is owned by the Genting Group, a Malaysian corporation that operates casinos and resorts around the world, most of them in Asia. Officials said its New York casino has already created 1,350 jobs and hope it will provide millions of dollars annually in revenue for the cash-strapped state -- and, its horse-racing industry.

The fall meet is still under way at nearby Belmont Park, where state officials are still exploring the idea of building a casino that would be run by the Shinnecock Indian tribe. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is also exploring the possibility of allowing non-Indian casinos to operate elsewhere in the state, such as the Catskills.

The fall meet at Aqueduct runs from Nov. 4 through to Dec. 31 and the winter meet runs Jan. 1 through April 23. The racino is open even when there is no live racing.

One horseman, Nassau County resident Anthony Bonomo, a member of NYRA's board of directors, said he believes the new racino will be good for the industry and will even lead to bigger purses for races.

"People can come here and watch the races," Bonomo said Friday. "I think it'll be a tremendous help purse-wise."

"I've been to Vegas and Atlantic City, and this rivals both of them. We just don't have the Vegas weather.