Resorts World Catskills opened its doors a month ago. That is not going to stop it from celebrating another grand opening though.
On March 5, the New York commercial casino opened its live poker room. The room features 19 tables and 171 seats.
Resorts World poker room features many modern amenities
In addition to the tables, Resorts World Catskills hopes to lure players with a long list of amenities.
Some of the amenities available to players include:
- An in-room cashier
- Food and beverage service to the table
- USB charging stations at each seat
- 13 55″ TVs spread throughout the room
The room offers Hold’em, Omaha, and Stud (upon request). No word yet if there will be any daily tournaments. Right now, the plan appears to be only cash games.
The minimum buy-in for the room is $30. The maximum varies depending on what game a player sits in.
President and CEO of Resorts World Catskills Ryan Eller has high hopes for the new room, per a Resorts World press release:
“We are committed to providing our guests with the region’s most extensive, exciting luxury experiences and our new poker room is best in its class and a perfect example of this commitment. We are confident that this poker room, paired with our property’s vast array of other offerings and amenities, will solidify Resorts World Catskills as the region’s premier casino resort destination.”
Resorts World will have to compete with Rivers Schenectady, Turning Stone
If the Catskills casino wants to compete as a poker destination, it will need to provide the same customer experience as Turning Stone and Rivers Schenectady. These two properties are the current leaders in poker. Turning Stone is the nostalgic stomping ground of some of the biggest successes in the game. Just the other day, reigning WSOP Main Event champion Scott Blumstein Tweeted fondly about his days at the property:
I know its cliche but I really wish I could take a trip back to when I first fell in love with poker. I used to live for the 5 hour trip up to Turning Stone just so I could get to play 1/2 in a casino. A young fan boy who loved the game and the characters it created. #nostalgia
— Scott Blumstein (@SBlum2711) February 22, 2018
Turning Stone’s big advantage is the 18 and up age limit. Back in the day, online players would cut their teeth at the tribal casino, as they were too young to play in commercial venues.
However, in the past year, Rivers Schenectady quickly established itself as a major poker contender. The property went big early, with a big-guarantee Memorial Day event. Since then, the casino also leveraged another arm of its parent company, Rush Street, by hosting the TV show Poker Night in America.
Slow start for Catskills casino
Hopefully, the poker room will generate more interest in the new casino. Granted, the property opened a month early with not every detail of the property finished and operational.
Nonetheless, the early revenue numbers are not exactly impressive, per NY Upstate. Compared to Rivers and del Lago, Resorts World had the smallest take for opening two weeks with $8.7 million, compared to $10.3 million and $9.3 million, respectively.
Moreover, in February, the casino lagged behind other properties in a direct revenue comparison:
- Resorts World Catkills: $5.3 million
- Rivers: $6.5 million
- Del Lago: $6.8 million
The hope is once everything is up and running, Resorts World revenue will continue to climb. However, looking at how the other commercial casinos fared in 2017, that hope may be a longshot.
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