NYC Gets First “Racino” with Video Slots

After a decade of debate, delay and scandal, video slot machines will soon start whirring in New York City at Aqueduct race track.

On Friday, more than 4,000 video slot machines and other casino-like amenities will greet gamblers at the Queens horse track a short distance from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The enterprise, like other so-called "racinos" at tracks across the state, aims to provide millions of dollars a year in revenue to the cash-strapped state and its racing industry, which is competing against casinos and other forms of gambling.

Nearby, the Shinnecock Indian tribe is considering seeking approvals to build a casino at Belmont Park, seven miles east of Aqueduct.

Federal investigators have probed the Aqueduct bidding process in Albany.