Yonkers Raceway Casino Reopening
Yonkers Raceway is the proud home of three major harness events: the Yonkers Trot, Art Rooney Pace and Messenger. Yonkers Raceway is the proud home of three major harness events: the Yonkers Trot, Art Rooney Pace and Messenger Stakes. The largest casino in the Northeast, MGM Resorts Empire City Casino which is just north of New York City in Yonkers announced that it will reopen at 25% capacity to the public on Sept.
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There’s no word yet from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on when the state’s casinos will be allowed to reopen. Meanwhile, properties are formulating their business and safety plans, to be prepared when that day arrives. Although the state is the hardest hit in the U.S. from the virus, the casinos are located north of the epicenter of New York City and its suburbs. Yet the wait continues.
Yonkers Raceway has the capacity to entertain individuals across the region with its diverse gaming and live entertainment products. Along with the live horse racing available on the premises of the racecourse individuals also have the chance to explore the racino.It has electronic video terminals up for grabs and players are often drawn to them whenever they visit Yonkers Raceway. If it’s any indication, Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady—about 170 miles north of New York City—issued a statement to GGB News saying it expects its staff to remain furloughed at least through June 30. And MGM Resorts International has said its Empire City racino at Yonkers Raceway probably will be the last to reopen of the company.
“We’ve been in pretty regular contact with the (New York) Gaming Commission,” said Lance Young, executive vice president and general manager of del Lago Resort & Casino, in the popular Finger Lakes tourist region. “We’re monitoring what other states are doing, looking at companies like Wynn and MGM, among others, and the reopening in Macau.
“We haven’t received guidance from the commission yet,” he told GGB News, “but obviously we’re expecting that.”
Discussions and information-sharing among the state’s operators have been a vital part of the preparations, Young said. “We’re all kind of talking back and forth about the things we hear from around the country, making sure we’re all aware of best practices.”
The state’s 20 casinos and racinos, including six tribally owned gaming halls, have been closed since March 16. Given the devastation Covid-19 has visited on New York City, making it the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., it’s expected the state’s casinos will be among the last in the U.S. to reopen,
If it’s any indication, Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady—about 170 miles north of New York City—issued a statement to GGB News saying it expects its staff to remain furloughed at least through June 30. And MGM Resorts International has said its Empire City racino at Yonkers Raceway probably will be the last to reopen of the company’s 24 properties nationwide.
Needless to say, the closures have hit the sector hard. Two off weeks in March cost the upstate commercial operators𑁋including del Lago, Rivers, Tioga Downs near Binghamton and Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, about 90 miles north of New York City𑁋at least $32 million in gaming revenues alone, based on gaming commission figures from 2019. If the shutdown lasts through June—and indications are it will—lost revenues could total $153 million or more.
The impact on New York’s treasury has been severe. Already out some $2.8 billion in its fight against the pandemic, which has infected more than 330,000 statewide and claimed more than 21,000 lives, the state expects to lose around $34 million in casino taxes and $387 million of what it normally collects from the video lottery sector.
At del Lago, which has furloughed around 1,100 workers, Young said, “We’re just hanging in there We’re hoping to reopen as soon as we can.”
by Debbie Little
Gov. Andrew Cuomo came through for harness racing, as New York State casinos have been given the green light to reopen, saving Yonkers Raceway from shutting down at the conclusion of racing this weekend.
In mid-August, a joint press release from Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts and the Standardbred Owners Association of New York (SOA) announced an agreement to extend racing only through Saturday, Sept. 12, which is New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) Night of Champions (full story here).
“It was great news that the casino can reopen and begin to get back to normal,” said Yonkers Raceway director of racing Alex Dadoyan. “The first step is the 25 per cent that we start at and it’s great for everyone. There were so many employees that were out of work and can now get back to what they do, as well as the horsemen that were racing with an uncertain future.”
Racing would have ceased in August if not for MGM Resorts agreeing to continue to pay operating expenses while the SOA contributed $1.2 million to purses.
“We’ll keep the purses how they are until we see how it goes,” said SOA president Joe Faraldo. “So next week we’ll only race four days, same purse level, then we’ll go to five days, same purse level, until we see how much money we’re generating and what has to happen.”
Even though some casinos in the state reopened on the first day possible, Sept. 9, Empire City chose a different path.
“It’s never been our goal to reopen first or fastest, but safest,” said Taryn Duffy, VP corporate communications & public affairs for Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. “We want to ensure we are opening safely for our employees and guests. There are numerous new operating procedures and protocols in place and we want to give our employees the time to be well-versed in this new way in which we will be operating – for their safety and the safety of our guests. Our extended soft opening for invited Mlife members leading up to the public opening on Sept. 21 allows us to manage the number of visitors in the first week and work towards the smoothest transition to our full opening.”
There had been rumors that racing at Yonkers might take a few weeks off to let the purse money build up, or race four – rather than five – days a week, but they turned out to be just that, rumors.
Racing five days a week, nine races a day, Faraldo thinks is the winning combination for his horsemen as well as those watching and betting on their product.
“You want other tracks or outlets to take your signal,” said Faraldo. “There’s something to be said for a continuity of signal. When people buy a signal, their customers want to see horses and races for a longer period of time throughout the course of the year so they can bet and they can get to know the horses. When you have 234 race dates it generates interest, it generates handle, it’s all off track, but it’s handle. So, I’m not about to give that up.”
Yonkers Raceway Casino Reopening Buffet
As for the Night of Champions, Kelly Young, executive director of the Agricultural and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, expects extremely competitive racing.
“It’s an unusual year capped off with an unusual Night of Champions, but there are many great horses to celebrate and we’re looking forward to some awesome performances on Saturday,” said Young. “We have done our best to make this season as fulfilling for the horsemen and horses as possible. Horses are earning good money in New York.”
Each final for 2- and 3-year-olds competing at the Hilltop Oval goes for the usual $225,000.
Even though listed owners are allowed to attend, they cannot bring their friends and family as has been the norm, but again, there is no norm during a pandemic.
Owners that wish to attend need to call Young at 518-388-0224 by this morning (Sept. 11) to be put on an admissions list. As per state guidelines, owners will only be allowed on the apron and not in the grandstand or the paddock, but can be part of a winner’s circle presentation as long as they are wearing a mask and adhering to social distancing.
Fans are still not allowed to attend, as they are in neighboring states, and there is no timeline for when that will change.
Yonkers is scheduled to race until Tuesday, Dec. 22.