A spokesman from Resorts World Catskills reached out to The Newburgh News to do damage control this afternoon and insisted that safety is their top concern after a wall collapse resulted in multiple customers being rushed to hospitals by helicopters and ambulances yesterday. The affected area will remain closed until further notice.
State documents show Resorts World Catskills has enjoyed over $112 million in net revenue from gamblers during the last seven months.
The Newburgh News first reported about the collapse here.
“The safety and security of our guests and staff is our top priority,” Don Bank, a spokesman for Resorts World Catskills, gushed after the story broke. This “top priority” to keep everyone safe was announced after a wall collapsed inside the building on Friday afternoon, resulting in a mass casualty incident.
Customers showed up at the casino yesterday afternoon to enjoy an afternoon of gambling and dining, but were instead seriously injured when a wall collapsed in the food court area just off the casino floor. Some patients were seriously injured and needed to be airlifted out of the horrific scene by medevac helicopters. A convoy of ambulances hustled to the scene to rush multiple other patients to the hospital by ground.
“We are extremely grateful to the first responders who quickly arrived on scene,” Bank stated. Multiple fire departments, ambulance corps, and law enforcement descended on the collapse scene to remove patients from the rubble and evacuate them to safety.
“We are coordinating with local agencies and the affected area will be closed as we gather more information,” Bank added.
This was not the first time in recent months when customers headed to the casino in Sullivan County to enjoy a day of gambling but instead found themselves in a dangerous situation.
As safety and security allegedly remains a top priority by Resorts World Catskills, a customer was stabbed in the lobby of the casino during the middle of the afternoon on August 22, 2022. The suspects fled the scene and the victim was rushed to a local hospital.
Resorts World Catskills has been plagued with bad reviews from customers on various review sites such as Yelp. Many have complained about filthy conditions, a lack of maintenance, a lack of staff, and difficultly winning money from the casino.
The New York State Gaming Commission reported that Resorts World Catkills has raked in a whopping $112,025,232 in net revenue from its gambling customers in just seven months – from April through October of 2022.
The casino has plans to open an annex in the Newburgh Mall. These plans have resulted in the Newburgh Free Library Town Branch’s closure after mall management evicted the library from their former location to make room for gambling (previous story here) (previous editorial here).
