The del Lago Resort & Casino officially opens its doors on Wednesday morning, after construction that has been going on for more than a year.
The $440 million facility will be open 24 hours a day. It has 2,000 slot machines and 89 gaming tables.
For the past year, more than 1,400 construction workers have been building the casino just off the Waterloo Thruway Exit.
Seneca County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jeff Shipley says their paychecks have been spent locally on places to stay, places to eat, and places to shop.
“Construction jobs along have been pretty remarkable for our area because it’s filled up our hotels, it’s sent people into our restaurants whether it be Seneca County or Geneva or surrounding communities. It has already had an impact on our area, there’s no question about that.”
A 205 room hotel, spa, and other amenities will open in the summer.
Governor Cuomo was on hand for the grand opening.
He says the project creates 15 hundred permanent jobs, and 300 additional spa and hotel jobs in the Finger Lakes Region
Cuomo says the opening of del Lago is representative of the positive synergy in upstate New York and just as there was an era of decline, now you’re seeing an era of growth.
"I really believe that the best is yet to be. The growth you are seeing now all across upstate New York is going to increase exponentially. So we are on our way," he said.
Not everyone is as enthusiastic about the new resort and casino.
Executive director of the New York Council on Problem Gambling, Jim Maney, says with the expansion of gambling, comes the probability that there's going to be an increase in people that are having difficulties with it.
