Turning Stone Resort Casino Readying $370M Expansion Project

Article ByDavid Weir

July 24, 2023

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Posted in: New York Gambling News, US Casino News

New York’s Turning Stone Resort Casino, owned by the Oneida Indian Nation, is set to undergo a significant transformation with a $370 million upgrade (rendering pictured).

This expansion, the largest in the resort’s history, is expected to take two years to complete. It will include a new conference center, outdoor event spaces, and a hotel.

The project, referred to as “The Next 30” because of the casino’s 30-year history, aims to make Turning Stone one of the largest resort convention centers in Upstate New York.

“The Turning Stone Evolution is much more than just an expansion,” said Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Oneida Nation Enterprises CEO in a company press release.

“It is nothing less than a full evolution of the region’s premier destination and its role as an economic leader.”

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A New Leaf for Turning Stone

Late last week, the Oneida Indian Nation released details of its $370 million capital investment, which was first announced in fall 2022.

The two-year transformation will include a new conference center, outdoor event spaces, a hotel, and more. The project continues the Oneida Indian Nation’s commitment to investment in the region, its enterprises, and team members.

It says the expanded casino resort could have a $616 million one-time economic impact, including the creation of 3,600 new jobs, and $22.1 million in state and local tax revenues.

The expansion will double the existing conference space with new indoor and outdoor event spaces.

These include eight new meeting rooms, many with outdoor patios, two new ballrooms, including a 30,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom with a terrace overlooking the Shenendoah Golf Course and The Lodge’s Great Lawn, an outdoor courtyard with three new events spaces, and a new indoor parking garage with 2,000 parking spaces.

Regional and National Player

The Oneida Nation told local media that part of the aim of the development was to allow the resort to book bigger and more prestigious conventions.

To that aim, the development will also include the construction of a new hotel, called the Crescent.

The Crescent will feature 258 additional rooms, including 23 suites. The hotel will also host Salt Seafood & Raw Bar, an internal creation from Turning Stone’s award-winning culinary team, with five private dining rooms featuring outdoor patios.

The existing 825-room hotel at the casino resort, currently called The Hotel, will become The Brook, taking a new name in tribute to the region’s beautiful waterways.

“With the new hotel and the new conference facility, we’ll be able to go after events that need 700-plus rooms a night, which puts us in play for much larger regional and national events,” Oneida Nation vice president of communications Joel Barkin told local outlet Syracuse.com.

New Sportsbook Lounge and Medical Centre

As well as more hotel and convention space, the Turning Stone Resort will also be getting an upgraded sports betting lounge (with Caesars Sportsbook) and new care facilities for the resort’s 4,500 employees.

To keep workers healthy and happy, the company has promised to construct a 5,000-square-foot onsite medical center. Created in partnership with Rome Health and accessible to all team members, their families, and resort guests, the medical center will offer urgent, primary, convenience, and cardiology care, with expanded hours covering evenings, weekends, and holidays.

“Together with our existing facilities and partnerships, the new conference center will make Turning Stone and Central New York an even more desirable destination for larger and more prestigious events,” Halbritter said.

The expansion of the Oneida’s Turning Stone comes at an interesting time for the wider New York gambling market.

One of the state’s biggest tribal casino operators, the Seneca Nation, announced a surprise new gaming compact with Governor Kathy Hochul (D) at the beginning of last month after years of negotiations – but the deal was scrapped after a controversial clause was leaked that could have seen the Seneca open a casino in Rochester, New York.

The state is also considering applications for three new downstate casino resort licenses, and some of the world’s biggest gambling operators have submitted plans, including Las Vegas Sands, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts.