WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 27, 2022 13
A full-scale casino license for Resorts World NYC would boost Queens tourism
BY THOMAS J. GRECH
When people think of casinos,
they often only think of
gaming. But, in the nearly 10
years since Resorts World New York
City has been open, our members have
come to see it as so much more. They’ve
gone there for concerts, to watch sporting
events, and for comedy shows.
They’ve sat down for a nice meal at
the RW Prime Steakhouse and Wine
Bar. In fact, the Queens Chamber has
hosted numerous events on site. And
they’re not the only ones. Queens
residents and visitors to the borough
have come to view Resorts World as
a destination for entertainment and
good food.
When the world stopped due to the
pandemic, much of life in the “World’s
Borough” stopped as well. Tourism
was curtailed and foot traffi c took a
huge dip. With fewer people heading
to Resorts World, neighboring
small businesses were also hit hard.
We need an infl ux of people to the
borough to help these organizations
begin to erase the huge losses they
have suff ered over the last two years.
Our members are aware of Resorts
World’s push to be allowed to compete
in the bidding process for table game
licenses and they fully support the
move. If Resorts World were able to expand
its off erings as an entertainment
destination, people would fl ock there
to take advantage of the new options.
This would create potentially thousands
of needed good-paying union
jobs in the retail, leisure and service
sectors. And while they were there,
staying in the new hotel, they would
also be infusing cash into other businesses
in the area, many of which are
minority- and women-owned enterprises.
This would create even more
jobs and economic activity indirectly.
These businesses have perhaps felt the
loss of the pandemic more acutely than
others, as their employees and customers
have been adversely impacted by
COVID-19.
New York should be exploring
any and all options that would bring
people back to the city. We’ve seen the
good neighbor that Resorts World has
been to the chamber and its members.
We know its commitment to hiring
Queens residents and helping local
entrepreneurs. We know the work it’s
done with the community and local
nonprofi ts – helping them achieve fundraising
goals, amplifying their work
and connecting them with volunteers
and supporters. We’ve seen its commitment
to providing its customers
access to locally produced goods. The
chamber believes adding table games
to the facility would do nothing but
OP-ED
strengthen these ties between Resorts
World and the Queens community. Its
success would spell success for all of us.
Many of our members were forced
to make the hard decision during the
pandemic to lay off employees. And
they weren’t the only ones – over a
third of Queens residents say they or
someone in their household lost their
job since the pandemic started. Many
people who are now unemployed are
people of color.
As a representative of over 1,300
organizations in Queens, we support
awarding Resorts World a full-scale
casino license because the move would
also create thousands of union jobs. As
we said, Resorts World is committed to
hiring minority employees who live
in Queens. This move could quickly
create options for employment and
get these people back to work in
the borough where they live. These
jobs would be good-paying, so aft er
months of uncertainty, they could
fi nally breathe a little easier without
wondering where their next paycheck
was coming from. Plus, they would get
high-quality healthcare at no cost to
them, in addition to defi ned pension
plans.
New York’s path to recovery will be
long. By supporting options that get
people back to work and bring people
back to the most diverse community
in the country, New York can help the
borough, the local business community
and the entire region as they
strive to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Thomas Grech is president & CEO of
the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
SNAPS
WORKING ABOVE QUEENS BOULEVARD
PHOTO BY JOE ABATE
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