[toc]What’s in a name? Quite a lot, apparently. So much, in fact, that one New York casino is pulling a name change in advance of its March 2018 opening.
The original name was Montreign Casino, but the venue is now Resorts World Catskills. The name change aims to capitalize on both brand and region recognition.
Resorts World Catskills joining elite list of properties
It certainly makes sense the forthcoming upstate New York casino wants to be associated with Resorts World. The name invokes luxury and high-end casinos. The company boasts casinos in Bimini, Malayasia, Singapore, as well as New York City.
The other New York Resorts World is near JFK International Airport, making it the only casino within the five boroughs. The casino is part of Aqueduct Racetrack, and features both slots and table games.
The Catskills property will be an 18-story casino resort with the full complement of casino offerings, a hotel, and an indoor water park. Future plans also include a golf course.
Empire Resorts, which owns the Catskills casino, licensed the Resorts World name last month. Previously, the companies planned on calling the casino Montreign Resort Casino, a Resorts World property.
Instead, they are going with a more direct approach. Emanuel Pearlman, executive chairman of the board of directors of Empire, explained why:
“The name Resorts World Catskills melds the allure of the Catskills region with the prestige of the Resorts World family. This recognized worldwide gaming and hospitality brand will provide us greater power to market our resort casino, which is designed to meet five-star and five-diamond standards, and provide regional, national and international exposure for the Catskills region.”
Casino honoring the region by including Catskills
The casino site used to house the Concord Hotel. From 1954 to 1998, it was the largest resort in the Catskills area. New Yorkers think of the Catskill Mountains as a resort area. The region used to be renowned as a vacation area for Manhattan residents to quickly get away from the city.
The casino hope to bring a new surge of tourists to the area, much like del Lago is helping boost Waterloo-area tourism.
Resorts World Catskills is the last of the four upstate casinos to open. It joins the ranks of del Lago, Rivers Casino in Schenectady, and Tioga Downs.
Resorts World expanding into Nevada too
New York state is not the only site of an upcoming Resorts World property. The company continues working on a massive $4 billion casino on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip.
The project stalled for several years as it struggled to find funding. Now the site is about to start with major construction over the next three months. Do not expect it to be opening any time soon though. This project will not be complete until 2020.
