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Get ready to step into a different kind of craps at the Big A!
The city’s first casino will open its doors at Aqueduct Racetrack on Oct. 28 — a week before the fall horse-racing meet begins.
The long-awaited Genting Resorts World Casino, which is expected to generate $10 billion in annual betting, will provide a boost to the city economy with 1,350 new jobs.
“We’ve built a truly state-of-the-art entertainment facility for the borough of Queens and beyond,’’ said Michel Spelling, president of Aqueduct Resort World.
The first phase of the $830 million complex will feature 2,480 video lottery slot machines and electronic table games, including baccarat, craps, roulette and an Asian dice game called Sic Bo.
The second phase will be completed in December and include 2,515 additional slots and virtual table games — bringing the total number of betting machines to 5,000.
The first floor, called Times Square casino, will include a buffet and food court with selections from Stage Deli, Wolfgang Puck Express, Queens Burger and Popeyes.
Bettors can also sip cocktails and enjoy panoramic views of the Big A’s racetrack from the swanky new Bar 360 and Lounge.
New workers who landed jobs in a tough job market said they were thrilled to be part of the historic new gambling venture.
Devi Ramarace, a recent Queens College graduate and a newly hired accountant at Resorts World, said many of her friends were struggling to find jobs in the financial-services field.
“It’s pretty tough out there. I’m one of the lucky ones to get this job,’’Ramarace said.
She said the casino workers this week enjoyed free food samplings in the employee cafeteria in preparation for the casino opening.
Eric Soriano, the food-court manager, said workers will participate next week in trial runs of cooking and delivering food and operating the cash registers.
He said nine shift supervisors — from franchises like Starbucks — will help keep the food lines moving and the customers happy.
A Who’s Who of New York political heavyweights — including Gov. Cuomo — is expected to show up at the opening.
Aside from the benefits of new jobs in a shaky economy, the Aqueduct casino will be a cash cow for New York coffers by generating an estimated $500 million in revenues, including dollars to prop up the horse-racing industry.
The casino’s presence will be a lifesaver for the racing industry, said state Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Queens), who represents the Aqueduct area.
He said there will be a spillover effect, with some casino gamblers wagering on horses.
“This is exciting. This is something that is long overdue. We’ve had 20 years of frustration waiting for something to revive Aqueduct,” he said.
Under current law, the Aqueduct gambling parlor is barred from offering live table games.
Addabbo said the next step is to start the arduous process of amending the state Constitution so Aqueduct can be converted into a full-fledged casino like those in Atlantic City, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas.