Casino news from http://www.thejournalnews.com/
YONKERS — The long-delayed debut of a $240 million video lottery casino planned for Yonkers Raceway will wait at least a few more days, as track officials again have pushed back the expected opening.
Track officials two weeks ago targeted a "soft opening" today for Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, the largest of eight planned video gaming casinos approved by the state Legislature in 2001. Ongoing construction, however, has pushed the expected opening back at least a couple more days.
The delay has prompted track officials to contemplate holding off the opening until early next week, rather than test new staff with the large crowds expected on the weekend, said Timothy Rooney Jr., the track's general counsel and son of owner Timothy Rooney.
"We're going to ease our way into it, absolutely," Rooney said.
Rooney said the track, which has been closed for construction since late June 2005, does not yet have a firm opening date.
Track officials initially planned to open only the first floor of the renovated, 107-year-old clubhouse, featuring 1,871 video gaming machines.
A second floor of the clubhouse and a new, adjacent building that will hold a majority of the 5,500 machines expected in the project's first phases are still under construction. The track is planning a more formal grand opening once the project's first phase is completed by the end of the year.
Yonkers Raceway is permitted to operate as many as 7,500 machines under the state law that authorizes eight horse tracks to operate video lottery casinos. The additional machines, including electronic slots, poker and other games, would be included in a second phase.
Six casinos already have opened at Saratoga, Monticello, Batavia, Finger Lakes in Farmington, Fairgrounds near Buffalo, and Tioga Downs in Nichols.
Yonkers Raceway and state officials are eager to open the casino, which is projected to reap millions per week for the state.
Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, a harness racing track down the street from that city's famous thoroughbred track that opened its casino in 2004, netted $2.3 million from video gaming in the week ending Sept. 23, according to the state's Division of Lottery's Web site. Of that, $1.2 million is slated for education.
According to the Lottery's Annual Financial Plan update in August, Yonkers was slated to open its first video gaming machines Sept. 20, reaping $118.3 million by the end of the state's fiscal year on March 31. State budget officials downplayed the effect the delayed opening would have on the state budget.
Empire City has been beset by delays since the state Legislature approved it in 2001. A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state law and disputes with the track's horse owners contributed to the delays.
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