Lim Kok Thay Drives a $5.5 Billion Expansion of Resorts World New York City
The Malaysian casino magnate is taking Genting's Queens property into its next era, with luxury hotel plans, a major entertainment venue and a new high-limit gaming room at the historic Aqueduct site.
QUEENS, NEW YORK |
One of New York's most storied gambling addresses is undergoing a transformation measured in billions. Genting, led by Malaysian businessman Lim Kok Thay, is advancing a $5.5 billion expansion of Resorts World New York City at the Aqueduct property in Queens. The ambition is to build a resort where a night at the tables can become an entire weekend.
The project reached a construction milestone with its Phase Two groundbreaking on July 22, 2026. More recently, the casino unveiled its International Room on October 22, introducing a private gaming experience aimed at customers who expect attentive service along with high-limit play.
That combination gives the development two stories worth following: the construction of a much larger destination and the changes visitors can already experience. For readers who know Aqueduct through racing programs and afternoons at the rail, it also raises a more personal question. What happens when a familiar racing address becomes known for an entirely different kind of wagering?
Lim Kok Thay and the Genting Casino Empire
Lim Kok Thay has spent half a century inside Genting. The company's official biography traces his service to 1976 and identifies him as executive chairman. He relinquished Genting Berhad's chief executive position in March 2025, while continuing to lead the group as executive chairman.
Genting's origins reach back to 1965, when his father, Lim Goh Tong, began pursuing a mountain resort in Malaysia. The business grew into an international group with interests extending well beyond hospitality. Its corporate portfolio includes casino and resort operations alongside property, energy and other businesses.
For South Florida readers, the broader Resorts World family may bring Bimini to mind. Genting's destinations also include Las Vegas and Singapore. Queens brings that international resort experience to a very different setting: an established New York gambling property surrounded by residential neighborhoods and close to a major airport.
The challenge is to make the property useful to several kinds of guests. A neighborhood regular, an overseas player and someone attending a concert may arrive for different reasons. A successful resort has to give each of them a reason to return.
From Aqueduct's Racing History to a New Casino Era
Aqueduct first opened on September 27, 1894. Over the following decades, the Big A became a familiar name to generations of horseplayers. Its history includes Seattle Slew's victory in the 1977 Wood Memorial and a five-year stretch hosting the Belmont Stakes while Belmont Park underwent renovation.
That racing chapter has now closed. The New York Racing Association confirms that Aqueduct's final day of live racing was June 28, 2026, and that the racetrack is permanently closed. The operating Resorts World casino should not be confused with the former live-racing operation.
NYRA's farewell to Aqueduct captures the depth of that history, from famous horses to the people who made the track part of their lives. A casino expansion cannot reproduce an afternoon watching thoroughbreds come down the stretch. It can, however, keep the address in New York's gambling conversation.
For PLAYHORSE readers, that transition is a central part of the story. The setting already has a sporting identity, and the next generation of visitors will encounter a property shaped by that past even as its attractions change.
Live Table Games Have Already Arrived
Resorts World New York City originally opened in 2011. For years, its gaming identity centered on video lottery terminals and electronic games. The commercial casino conversion has changed what players can find on the floor.
On April 28, 2026, the property introduced live dealer table games and commercial casino slots. Genting's opening announcement described a launch with more than 240 tables, including blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette. Lim participated in the ceremonial first roll of the dice.
The distinction matters when discussing a Resorts World opening date. The casino is already operating with live table games. The larger hotel and entertainment development is a separate, continuing expansion.
A staffed roulette wheel, a live craps table and a blackjack dealer create a different atmosphere from electronic gaming alone. They also give the property a broader offering for players deciding where to spend an evening.
What the $5.5 Billion Expansion Includes
According to the company's July groundbreaking announcement, the development is intended to add approximately two million square feet to the existing one-million-square-foot property. That additional space encompasses gaming, hospitality, entertainment, dining, retail and conventions.
The announced Phase Two program includes another 400-room hotel tower, 1,200 rooms under the luxury Crockfords name, a 7,000-seat multipurpose arena, a central plaza and a new parking garage. It also includes the Kenny "The Jet" Sports and Media Complex.
Those elements suggest a different pattern of use for the site. An arena can bring people onto the property for a scheduled event. Hotel rooms can turn some of those visits into overnight stays. Restaurants and meeting space can create reasons to visit at hours when an entertainment venue would otherwise be quiet.
The practical test will be how these pieces work together. Guests need to move comfortably between their rooms, restaurants, events and the casino. Adding floor space creates the opportunity; the experience inside it will determine whether visitors want to stay.
A Hotel Foundation Already in Place
The resort strategy began well before the latest construction announcement. The 400-room Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York opened in August 2021, giving the property an established overnight accommodation business.
Hyatt's opening announcement described an eight-story hotel with guestrooms, suites, meeting facilities and a lobby connected to the casino. That investment gave Resorts World an opportunity to accommodate business travelers and leisure guests who wanted more than a short visit.
The planned Crockfords offering would add another level of hospitality. For a guest considering a casino weekend, the quality of the room, service and dining can matter as much as the gaming selection. The hotel is where the experience continues after the last hand.
The International Room Adds a Luxury Gaming Address
The clearest recent example of that approach is the International Room, unveiled with Queens-born rapper Nas in October.
The approximately 13,657-square-foot space contains 48 table games and three private gaming salons. Its offerings include high-limit baccarat, roulette and blackjack, with dedicated hosts, beverage service and round-the-clock dining options.
The company's October announcement placed the property's overall inventory at nearly 300 live table games and more than 4,000 slot machines. Those are operating casino figures, distinct from the scale envisioned for the completed resort.
For a high-limit player, privacy and convenience can be part of the attraction. A reserved salon offers a different experience from a busy main floor. The new room gives customers a chance to judge that service today while the larger construction program continues.
Why the Queens Location Matters
Resorts World sits on Rockaway Boulevard near John F. Kennedy International Airport. In its March 2026 report, the state's Gaming Facility Location Board identified airport access and Genting's international customer network as elements of the property's business case.
The location offers a plausible advantage for travelers who want a resort stay close to an international arrival point. It also places a large gaming destination within the city, where residents can consider a local visit instead of planning an out-of-town casino trip.
Convenience alone will not fill hotel rooms. The resort still has to compete for a visitor's time and spending. Its strongest case would be a combination of easy access, worthwhile entertainment and service that makes another stay appealing.
New Competition Is Taking Shape
Resorts World is part of a wider change in New York City's casino market. The Gaming Commission's December 15, 2025 meeting records document license approvals for Resorts World New York City, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park and Bally's Bronx, subject to independent monitoring agreements.
Steve Cohen and Hard Rock's Metropolitan Park project near Citi Field would bring another major casino destination to Queens. Bally's plans introduce a separate development in the Bronx. These projects give Resorts World's expansion a competitive context beyond the size of its own gaming floor.
Resorts World already has an operating property and customers walking through its doors. That offers a chance to develop repeat business while expanding. Over time, the competition could turn on which destination best combines its location, accommodation, entertainment and treatment of guests.
What Happens Next at Resorts World New York City?
As of October 2026, live table games and the International Room are open, and Phase Two has broken ground. The additional hotels, arena and other resort facilities remain part of a development that will take shape over multiple stages.
The state's March report described a construction schedule extending into 2031 for later hotel and entertainment components. The company's more recent announcements describe phased progress. Readers should therefore distinguish the casino's existing operations from future facilities that have yet to welcome guests.
The state review also identified financing and construction challenges, including the project's reliance on future operating cash flow and additional borrowing. Those considerations make continued progress on the ground more useful to watch than the size of any rendering.
For Lim Kok Thay, Queens offers an opportunity to establish a much larger resort presence within New York City. For longtime Aqueduct followers, the development marks a striking change at an address associated with racing for more than a century. The next chapter will be written through hotel openings, entertainment bookings and the experience of the people who visit.