Another option to raise revenue for New York City's ailing transit system is suddenly on the table: A major expansion of gambling in the five boroughs, an idea that could lead to a new casino somewhere in the city.

A brand new casino, built from the ground up, could potentially raise the same amount of money as congestion pricing.

New York legalized gambling in 2013, but the only full casinos are upstate. Here in the city, there are video lottery terminals at the Aqueduct race track in Queens. But no new casinos will be sited until 2023 — unless, of course, the state changes the law.

Not all the casinos and racinos are scheduled to reopen Wednesday. Some are, such as Resorts World Catskills in Sullivan County, Tioga Downs in the Southern Tier, Vernon Downs in central New York. Casinos in New York were shuttered in mid-March as the coronavirus started to spread throughout the state. It could be a month or more before they reopen.

A fourth $1.2 billion casino resort selected by state officials is set to open in March in the Catskills, about 90 miles northwest of New York City. Another casino less than an hour from the New. 2020's top casinos in New York State include Seneca Niagara Casino, Saratoga Race Course + Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack. Add these and more to your travel plan. Tribal casinos, which aren't regulated by the state, have been open for a few months in New York, including Turning Stone near Utica, a drive of less than 2 hours from Albany.

'I think as long as the government has the power to do it — which it does — I think it would be an incredible idea,' former Gov. David Paterson said. 'First of all, there are chances to create 15,000 to 20,000 jobs.'

Paterson was in Albany this week representing the Sands Corporation, which wants to build a new casino somewhere in the five boroughs. Supporters say a new casino would create construction jobs, hotel jobs, and generate hundreds millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he is dubious and distrusts the numbers on the promised windfall. 'I am very skeptical about some casino deal put together by casino operators promising billions of dollars and everybody is happy,' the governor said.

New Casino In New York State

But Cuomo didn't slam the door shut on the idea either: 'Everybody says that would be the golden franchise, right? If you had a casino in New York City.'

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie met with representatives of the casino industry in Albany.

We asked him about the prospect of downstate gaming last week.

'As I've said many times before, I am not the biggest fan of gambling,' Heastie said. 'But that is a discussion I will have to have with the members.'

Gambling was legalized in New York state on the notion that it would help the upstate economy. So far, the industry's projections on how those casinos would fare have fallen short of expectations. But New York City is a very different and a potentially much more lucrative market, with 60 million tourists visiting the city every year.

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VERONA - Lines of people snaked from all the main entrances to the Turning Stone Resort Casino in central New York early Wednesday morning as crowds gathered more than an hour before the casino opened for the first time in three months.

The Oneida Indian Nation closed Turning Stone and its other casinos in mid-March after the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut jointly announced that the states will shut down casinos, gyms and movie theaters amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The nation’s other two casinos, Point Place Casino in Bridgeport and Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango, also opened Wednesday, making them the first casinos in New York to reopen their doors.

Meanwhile, other casinos in New York have plans to reopen over the course of the next few weeks.

The Seneca Indian Nation said Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls will reopen June 18, followed by Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino on June 25 and Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino on July 2.

The rest of the state's 20 casinos have not yet been given state approval to reopen and are likely to be part of the last of the four phases of reopening in at least two weeks. The tribes have their own gaming compacts with the state and could open on their own schedules.

More: When will New York's casinos reopen? What Cuomo and the betting halls are saying

Phased approach at Turning Stone

Similar to how Gov. Andrew Cuomo is reopening certain regions throughout the state amid the pandemic, the Oneida Nation’s casinos are opening in phases.

Wednesday’s openings were part of the first phase.

For Turning Stone, phase one reopened the casino’s gaming floor and some of the restaurants, according to nation officials. The casino’s Exit 33 venues and the buffet are not part of Phase One and will reopen later on.

Nation officials said advancement to the next phases would be done in a safe and responsible manner. No timetable has yet been set.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said the county was involved in developing Turning Stone’s reopening plan, calling the approach “detailed and comprehensive.”

“It will be a positive for the business community,” Picente said. “Hopefully everyone will go well.”

The Nation has outlined a number of safety protocols as part of an overall reopening plan called Safer Together.

The precautions include:

• Limited access to facilities for guests who travel from within 120 miles; identification verification will be used to aid contact tracing if it becomes necessary.
• Requirement of face coverings, wherever feasible, for employees, guests, vendors and the public.
• Gloves required for all employees working in direct contact with guests.
• Daily thermal temperature checks for every employee and health survey to identify potential COVID-19 exposure.
• At least 6 feet of separation between tables at all restaurants and bars.

More: Hudson Valley enters Phase 2: Here's what is reopening

Back to work at central New York casinos

With more than 4,759 employees, the nation is the largest employer in Oneida County.

Nonessential employees were furloughed and provided with some help, including coverage of their health care premiums.

Nation officials said employees with the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department, Oneida Health Services, Maple Leaf Market and SavOn were among those considered essential.

On Wednesday, the vast majority of the furloughed workers – numbering roughly 4,500 – returned to work, said Ray Halbritter, the CEO of Oneida Nation Enterprises.

“All those folks are really delighted to come back to work and try to get back to normal,” Halbritter said.

The new normal will require wearing a mask, said Halbritter, who described the face covering as the biggest change when it comes to visiting the nation’s casinos.

“It was so hard the last three months,” Halbritter said. “We’ve not closed since we opened. It’s so good to be open again.”

More: Coronavirus in New York: Interactive map of cases and deaths by county

Seneca Nation plans to reopen in western New York

Like the Oneida Nation, the Seneca Nation closed its casinos in mid-March.

The reopening of the Seneca Nation casinos will also return thousands to work, officials said.

“After being closed for nearly three months, we are now ready to move forward with the safe, responsible and systematic reopening of our gaming facilities,” said Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong, Sr. in a statement.

“This is a signature moment in our region’s economic recovery from the circumstances that arose as a result of this unprecedented public health crisis.”

Mirroring the Oneida Nation, all of the Seneca Nation facilities will open at reduced capacity, with strict protocols in place to protect the health and safety of guests and workers, officials said.

More: Phase 3 opening in New York: Have your nails done, go to a restaurant or get a tattoo

Ready to play and gamble

New Casinos In New York State Opening

The hundreds of visitors at Wednesday’s opening at Turning Stone practiced social distancing as best they could, with the vast majority seen wearing cloth masks.

The throngs were welcomed by Halbritter and casino staff with cheers and applause as they entered the facility.

Vinnie Dove of Elmira said he was happy to see the casino open.

Dove said he comes to Turning Stone several times a month and had been checking the casino’s website daily to see when it would reopen.

“I’m here to play bingo,” he said.

Nanette Manning of Syracuse ventures to Turning Stone often, saying she was looking forward to playing poker.

Manning said she was not worried about the virus, saying she felt safe to return.

“I’ve been in the house for three months,” she said.

Brand New Casino In New York State

More: New York City starts its reopening Monday amid unrest and economic uncertainty

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: These were the first casinos to reopen in New York