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Albany lawmakers are expected to greenlight a plan that will bring video slot machines to the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens. But as Queens reporter Ruschell Boone explains in the following report, it's getting mixed reviews from those who live near the track.The slots, the horses and rock and roll are all part of a bid to transform the declining Aqueduct Race Track in South Ozone Park into a state-of-the-art gambling destination where video lottery machines or VLT's and horse racing will operate side by side. The state has authorized 4,500 machines for the site.
“We expect to create a facility that will maximize VLT revenues to directly compete with Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania,” said SL Green Realty Corporation CEO Marc Holiday.
SL Green and Hard Rock are among the bidders for the video slots franchise.
“It’s an extraordinary master plan which does encompass some hotel, live entertainment, retail and affordable residential development uses,” said Holiday.
But there's competition from two other bidders: Aqueduct Gaming, which includes Saratoga Harness Racing, and a partnership between Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Casino with racing and gaming operator Capital Play.
“Approximately 40 million people come into JFK every year, so we would like to have basically our gaming facility and hotel at Aqueduct, as we call it, JFK's waiting room,” said Capital Play Limited president and CEO Karl O'Farrell. ”We would like to bring the AirTrain right into the facility,” said
The state is expected to pick one of the plans in about two weeks. The video slots are expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually to help to fund education.
The Racino may end up generating great revenue for the state, but will it be good for the neighborhood. Residents had mixed reaction.
“It's good if we have a casino right here where we can gamble,” said one area resident.
“We don't want it,” added another.
“There would probably be more job opportunities for the neighborhood and it would liven it up a little bit,” added a third.
Some of the money would also go towards the tracks and thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct. That’s something its operator, the troubled New York Racing Association, is excited about. A spokesperson released a statement saying:
"We are about to emerge from bankruptcy and things are looking up. The gaming machines will give us some capital to improve our facilities and help us to increase the money the horses run for."
The state wants the slots up and running within the next six to eight months.
– Ruschell Boone
