Waterloo, N.Y. (Feb, 1, 2017) — Excitement for del Lago Resort & Casino has been building for more than a year. On Feb. 1, the wait was over as del Lago officially opened its casino doors to the public. The celebration was marked with a press conference and ceremonial ribbon-cutting featuring Gov. Andrew Cuomo, del Lago Resort & Casino officials — including Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babinski and Co-Chairmen Tomas C. Wilmot Sr. and Brent Stevens — and local dignitaries and government officials who were instrumental in the $440 million project.
Del Lago Resort & Casino is a partnership between Rochester-based Wilmorite Inc. and Peninsula Pacific. Peninsula Pacific comprises the former leadership team from Peninsula Gaming, which has a combined 50 years of experience developing and managing regional casinos in five states. JNB Gaming will manage the casino. JNB and its principals are widely recognized throughout the country as premier casino developers and operators.
After the ribbon-cutting, the first craps dice were rolled to mark the milestone and thousands of visitors waiting in line from across the state and region were welcomed inside the casino for the first time.
“This day has been a long time coming, and we are thrilled to open our doors to the public for the first time,” Babinski said. “We built del Lago Resort & Casino for you — for our customers, for the community and for our entire Finger Lakes region. From the start, the mission behind del Lago Resort & Casino has been to act as a gateway to the region, with the goal of leveraging the natural beauty and unique offerings to enhance tourism. We are so excited that this day has finally come.”
“We are thankful to Gov. Cuomo for his leadership in bringing a referendum to the New York state voters that allowed del Lago to be proposed and built the facility we are opening today,” Wilmot said. “We are incredibly proud of what we have built and the business operation that we are running. We will do everything we can to exceed expectations and help this region thrive.”
“Our investors have committed to this beautiful property on the promise that del Lago Resort & Casino will be a world-class destination focused on community pride, the highest level of customer service, and the notion that we will under-promise and over-deliver,” Stevens said. “This resort and casino is another example of how leading gaming expertise at Peninsula Pacific, coupled with the incredible track record of Wilmorite and the top-notch management expertise at JNB Gaming, can take a dream and turn it into a reality.”
del Lago Resort & Casino’s Expected Economic Impact
In addition to creating 1,800 jobs during construction, del Lago has created 1,500 permanent jobs with the casino opening and will create another 200-300 when the hotel and spa open this summer. Del Lago Resort & Casino will also be a boon to local wineries, breweries, restaurants, hotels, stores, tourism destinations and other businesses. In addition, local governments — Town of Tyre, school districts, Seneca County and other neighboring counties in the gaming region established by the state — will see a significant, positive, direct impact from del Lago Resort & Casino through their share of the casino’s gaming tax payments to the state.
Based on initial studies, it is projected that del Lago Resort & Casino will bring in 3.2 million visitors per year. It will also bring in approximately $260 million in gross gaming revenue, $68 million in gaming taxes to New York state, and $3.4 million each to the Town of Tyre and Seneca County.
What Guests Can Expect
Opening-day guests were among the first to enjoy the 94,000-square-foot casino floor featuring 2,000 slot machines and 89 gaming tables, including 12 poker tables.
Del Lago Resort & Casino guests will also enjoy:
· Farmers Market Buffet: Offering diners locally sourced produce, fruits, dairy products, meats and pastries.
· The Vine: 2,400-person entertainment venue that will also serve as a separate French Quarter-inspired restaurant and bar.
· Portico by Fabio Viviani: Celebrity chef and “fan favorite” on Bravo’s hit reality series “Top Chef,” Fabio brings a sophisticated ? take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and handmade pastas, as well as seafood, steaks and chops grilled over hardwood.
· Centrifico: Bar/lounge area in the center of the gaming floor.
· Savor NY — MacKenzie-Childs at del Lago: 2,000-square-foot store featuring MacKenzie-Childs and Jay Strongwater ? ? ? ?products, as well as a selection of special products produced by companies based in the Finger Lakes, including local wineries, ?breweries, spirits and cheesemakers.
· Food court: 4,200-square-foot food court with three restaurants: Finger Lakes-based Ciccino’s Pizzeria & Paninoteca, and ? ?locally owned Smashburger and Moe’s Southwest Grill.
· The 205-room hotel, spa, banquet facility and The Sociale Café & Bar will open in summer 2017.
Del Lago Resort & Casino is located at 1133 State Route 414, Waterloo, N.Y. 13165, just off Exit 41 on the New York State Thruway.