After a private ribbon cutting ceremony at 11am, Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady will open its doors to the public today at noon.
The venue celebrated its official groundbreaking ceremony a year and five days ago and now the $330 million casino located on the edge of the Mohawk River in eastern New York is for the most part complete. The grand opening today is expected to attract thousands and casino security and local police are taking the necessary measures to be ready for the crowds. Patrols have been increased in the surrounding area and the venue itself will have an increased security presence during the influx of visitors within the first days and weeks of the casino’s opening.
The 50,000-square-foot gaming floor features 1,150 slots, 67 gaming tables, and a 15-table poker room. Rivers is the only casino in the Capital Region to feature table games and the only property in the area where you can play with chips.
In addition to all of the gaming options, Rivers features five restaurants with a?range of concepts and flavors, all of which will be operated by local favorite the Mallozzi Restaurant Group. Guests will also be able to experience Rivers Casino’s quality amenities, including Van Slyck’s, an entertainment lounge located just off of the gaming floor complete with a full bar serving specialty cocktails and craft beers, live music and televised sporting events, and its own gaming positions, featuring 34 slot machines and a number of table games. A 10,000-square-foot Event Center, Splash Spa, which will open later this month, and a 165-room hotel is expected to open this summer. The facility’s 1,800 on-site parking spots, which include surface lots and the garage, can accommodate 7,029 vehicles.
Aside from gambling, there are also other forms of entertainment such as an entertainment pit where guests can play pool, shuffleboard and more.
Adjacent to the Rivers Casino, the Galesi Group’s new mixed-use Mohawk Harbor project is progressing and will include a 50-slip harbor on the Erie Canal and Mohawk River and a 124-room Courtyard by Marriot. The development constitutes an additional investment of $150 million in the 60-acre riverfront property.
Rivers is one of three licenses awarded in Upstate New York in December 2015, including del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo which opened on February 1st and Montreign Resort Casino in Thompson, Sullivan County, which is expected to open on March 1st.