First slot machines arrive at Schenectady casino

PHOTOGRAPHER: Marc Schultz

Steve Colache checks in a slot from a tractor trailer at the loading dock as slot machines arrived at the Rivers Casino.

The first slot machines were wheeled into Rivers Casino and Resort Tuesday morning, as the facility approaches its February opening.

Four truckloads of slot machines have now arrived at the casino, which is located on the Mohawk Harbor site along Erie Boulevard. In total, 300 machines will have been delivered by the end of the week, with installation starting immediately. The casino is set to open to the public on Feb. 8, 2017, about 13 months after it received its gaming license. It will feature a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor, a 10,000-square-foot banquet area and several dining options. An adjacent 165-room hotel will open in mid-2017.

Another 600 slot machines will be delivered next week, and the remaining 242 will arrive the following week.

Staffers went through a specific documenting process as they unloaded the devices Tuesday, in order to meet state gaming commission standards, said Mary Cheeks, general manager of Rivers Casino and Resort.

The machines will be installed as they arrive and include the newest games, as well as old favorites, Cheeks said.

In January, staffers will begin to install table games. The casino will feature 67 gaming tables and 15 poker tables.

It is expected to employ close to 1,100 in total, Cheeks said, adding that the hiring process is winding down.

“We’ve either extended all offers or are in the process of doing so,” she said.

The adjacent hotel is scheduled to open in June and will employ around 50, Cheeks said. Hiring for those openings will likely start about two months ahead of the opening date, she said.