That could change soon, as MGM has its eye on expanding operations at the site, opening a full-scale resort with the capabilities a full-scale gaming license would offer. They play just like their live counterparts and boast “the best odds in town.”Īs of the time of writing this Empire City Casino review, it held a Class II License, so it is able to offer a huge number of electronic machines of chance, as well as bets on harness racing, but no live table games. In addition to slots, Empire City has every beloved table game in convenient electronic formats. Blackjack, roulette, poker and baccarat are just a few of the games available. You’ll find fun theme games such as “Friends,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Dragon Rising” and many others. Officials have attributed the increase in part to the aging of the population.Īccess-A-Ride expenses have marched upward over the past decade from nearly $63 million in 1999 to about $450 million this year.The casino’s extensive facilities now offer more than 5,000 different slots, including video poker, slot machines, keno and more.

Trips have soared during the same time period from 1.6 million to 7.2 million last year. By last year, that figure had risen to 123,000, NYC Transit statistics show. In 1999, there were approximately 48,000 registered Access-A-Ride users. A passenger also can have a guest required to pay $2.25. The actual per-trip cost to NYC Transit, which hires private companies to operate the service, is $53 dollars, Parker said.Ī passenger is allowed to be accompanied by a personal care attendant, which could be a spouse, relative or friend, who rides for free. The fare is the base subway-bus fare: $2.25. Passengers are ferried to Empire City from as far away as Staten Island, southern Brooklyn and eastern Queens, one driver said. The rest fall into four categories: shopping/errands school work, or “other.” It’s public transportation.”Īpproximately 50% of trips are medical-related, Parker said. We don’t ask where you’re going on the bus or subway. “The law is clear we can’t prioritize trips and we do not ask what your purpose is,” Parker said. Still, NYC Transit can’t simply refuse to provide trips requested by registered users, spokesman Deirdre Parker said. Access-A-Ride ridership and costs have been skyrocketing for years, and transit officials are looking to streamline operations to help close an MTA-wide budget gap of nearly $400 million dollars.

Empire casino shuttle