By: Hellen Zaboulani
Queens Councilwoman Adrienne Adams will soon be installed as the next City Council Speaker, becoming the first Black woman to ever lead the council. Ms. Adams, who is not related to Mayor-elect Eric Adams, had 33 pledged supporters, which was more than the majority of votes in the 51-member legislation.
The 61-year-old Democrat is lobbying the state to grant a casino license to Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, which is in her native turf of Southeast Queens. As reported by the NY Post, on Dec. 8, she sent a letter to Gaming Commission officials urging them to allow Genting’s Resorts World slots parlor at Aqueduct to be converted and expanded into a full-fledged casino with live card table games. “Resorts World has been an outstanding partner in our community and has contributed to the economic and social fabric of our borough,” Ms. Adams said.
For now, Resorts World, opened in 2011, can only offer slot-type video lottery betting games, based on its license. “Resorts World has contributed mightily to New York’s economy, creating jobs for local residents and spurring economic development in the borough of Queens,” Ms. Adams wrote in the letter to the Gaming Commission. She added that Resorts World currently employs over 1,000 unionized workers in good paying jobs, with a big majority of the employees being “people of color” and from Queens. She added that close to half the workers are women.
She also noted that Resorts World has been a good neighbor, hosting numerous community events and health fairs, and has donated $2 million to local charities including the Queens Boys & Girls Club. Genting, the gaming giant, has had hopes of expanding into a full-fledged casino since it first opened. As per the Post, a new $400 million hotel, named The Hyatt Regency JFK at Resorts World, also just opened up at Aqueduct.
There are currently a maximum of three downstate casino licenses potentially available for the taking. Ms. Adams’ backing for an Aqueduct expansion, slims the chances that the gaming commission will award a casino license in Willets Point near Met’s Citi field stadium. The two locations are only a few miles away and would compete with each other too heavily, sources told the Post.
In the meantime, leading politicians in Westchester County similarly sent the gaming commission letters pushing for MGM Resorts’ Empire City Casino in Yonkers Raceway to be awarded a full casino license.