Still a relatively new property owned by MGM Resorts International, New York New York has been open since January 3, 1997. Its neighbor is the Monte Carlo and sits on the corner of the southern portion of Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana Avenue, allowing it to be conveniently accessed as you exit or approach I-15.
Visually speaking, New York New York makes a lot of effort to capture its theme both on the exterior and interior. It might look a bit silly seeing a small Statue of Liberty and New York City skyline in the midst of its roller coaster, but then again Las Vegas provides many visuals you don’t see anywhere else, so what’s the difference? As you walk along the strip you will also see a crafty recreation of the Brooklyn Bridge, and appropriately right near New York New York is Shake Shack, the popular burger and milkshake joint that originated in New York City in 2001.
New York may be one of the busiest, fanciest, and most expensive places on earth, but the New York New York casino runs in the middle of the pack with MGM’s properties. There’s no reason to think locals will regularly be here, but it serves well to tourists that want to experience Vegas without getting caught up in status.
If you’re driving to the casino you can valet or park, but there is now a fee for each. Pricing is set based on your tier status or how long you’re staying. If you don’t want to pay for parking but don’t care to gamble to get your status raised, apply for the M Life Credit Card and if approved, your status will be upgraded, and you’ll be allowed to self-park for free.
Casino at New York New York
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Having renovated itself in 2006, the casino now has multiple pits dispersed around its 84,000 square foot gaming space. This part of New York New York does not add to its theme, but like New York, the energy is always up. The air is circulated well so you don’t have to constantly inhale secondhand smoke, and we were impressed with the wide variety of table games which mostly had a $10 minimum.
Baccarat
There is just one mini-baccarat game for $10 but given there were no players at it on a Thursday night, one table is probably all that is needed.
Blackjack
The standard payout at most blackjack tables on the main casino floor offer 6-5 odds. These tables have a $10 minimum to be dealt in, and the dealer must hit on soft 17. Alternatively, 3-2 payouts are available and offered at the doubledeck games, but you must play the $25 table. That means if you’re playing the 6-5 tables, we don’t recommend you ever bet more than $20.
If you just want cheap blackjack and don’t care about having an actual dealer, virtual blackjack games are out by the slots with only a $3 minimum. Lastly, if you like some of the newer variations of blackjack, New York New York also deals Blackjack Switch and Free Bet Blackjack.
Craps
Lessons on how to play craps are given every day at New York New York. Betting begins at $10 with odds of 3-4-5. Like blackjack, there is also a virtual version of craps outside the pit where you can play for $2.
Roulette
We were shocked, confused, and amused by what New York New York does to its roulette players. First off, they have decided to join the recently created party by adding a third zero to its wheel. What was the problem? The table game with already the biggest house edge needed to get bigger? In any case, all three green zeros are next to each other, and the odds for hitting any of them is 11-1 (13-1 in reality). This creation ranked #3 as to what shocked us the most.
The #2 ranking shock during our visit to New York New York is the fact that standard two zero roulette was also going. That means the player has the choice between giving the house an edge, or a bigger edge.
And lastly, the #1 shocking part about all of this is the fact that the triple zero wheel had a $25 minimum bet, compared to $10 at normal roulette! Okay, so the bigger the advantage you have to give the house, the more you have to bet. Interesting. Seeing this truly speaks massive volumes as to just how little the average gambler either pays attention to what they are doing, or cares. The house experimented to see if their players wouldn’t mind giving them more money and they didn’t. At least not yet.
If you want nothing to do with any of this but still want to play roulette, there’s a $3 live wheel with no dealer out by the slots.
Other New York New York Table Games
– Let it Ride ($10 minimum)
– Crazy 4 Poker ($10 minimum)
– Three Card Poker ($10 minimum)
– Cajun Stud (rare) ($10 minimum)
– Ultimate Texas Holdem ($10 minimum)
– High Card Flush ($10 minimum)
– Fortune Pai Gow Poker ($10 minimum)
– Face Up Pai Gow Poker ($10 minimum)
– Casino War ($5 minimum)
Having nine additional games blows away most of the competition which typically has no more than six. A lot of the tables were full but given how many total tables there were you shouldn’t get stuck waiting to play.
High Limit Room at New York New York
The high limit section was solid, bringing you its own bar along with a seating area with several couches and chairs. There were five blackjack tables and one baccarat table but there was one problem. There was not a single staff member present, and this was during peak nighttime hours. This leads us to believe that the rules for either game are no different than the main floor, with the lone possible difference being that in blackjack that the dealer must stand on soft 17. Regarding bet sizes, since NY NY isn’t a top level casino, minimum bets doubtfully exceed $100.
Slots at New York New York
There are upwards of 1,500 slots spread all throughout the gaming floor, almost of which are new. Limits start at a penny and go up incrementally to $1. Some of its notable games are Cleopatra, Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, Skill Pinball, and Buffalo. Other games you don’t see everywhere were Ghostbusters, Game of Thrones, and Jurassic Park.
High Limit Slots at New York New York
The high limit slots are in the same room as the table games, located on the other side. Bet sizes are $1, $5, $10, and $25. Slots made up most of this section, but there was also some video poker offering wage limits of $1, $2, $5, and $10.
A look into the high limit slots room at NY NY from our last visit:
Video Poker at New York New York
It was nice to see the video poker section was marked off on the casino floor. Limits started at a nickel and went up incrementally to $1. Six different types of games are offered with paybacks as great as 99.58% for Triple Double Bonus, and only as low as 98.91% at Deuces Wild 44. Video Poker can also be easily found at the casino bars and are a great way to get comped drinks.
Sportsbook at New York New York
This was by far the weakest part of this property, beginning with the fact there are no signs leading you to the sportsbook until you get there. That’s like having your low fuel light come on moments before you run out of gas.
The sportsbook is small and kind of just appears out of nowhere. It is surrounded by casino noise, and the TVs are all small and really high up. Seating only goes back a few rows, but no matter where you’re sitting you have to tilt your neck all the way back like you’re in the front row at the movie theater. Since the betting board is shown between the TVs, reading that isn’t any easier.
The few good things to say about this sportsbook don’t even pertain directly to it. Nevertheless, there is a bathroom right behind it, it exits onto the strip, and it is next to a whole slew of quick eats called Village Street Eateries. It is this part of NY NY that goes back to its New York theme because of how much food there is, but also building structures to look like New York City apartments. It’s pretty neat and might help you get your mind off this total joke of a sportsbook.
Hotel at New York New York
The 2,024 hotel rooms include suites and penthouses in addition to its standard 350 square foot room. Average nightly rates don’t cheap, averaging over $200. Then on top of that you have the mandatory nightly $40 resort fee (tax included), which only includes pool, Internet, and fitness center access, along with some other small things. The spa is not included.
Standard Rooms at NY NY
– Park Avenue Room (~350 square feet)
– Madison Avenue Room (~350 square feet)
Suites at NY NY
– Spa Suite (500 square feet)
– Marquis Suite (700 square feet)
– Players Suite (800 square feet)
– Luxury Queen Suite (1,100 square feet)
The lone penthouse is also 1,100 square feet. Considering the suites and penthouse are not even double the cost of the standard, it makes the standard room pricing seem like a bad deal.
Spa and Fitness Center
The Park Avenue Spa and fitness center are open seven days a week from 6 AM – 7 PM, while the salon is open from 10-6. Spa use is $15 for guests and $20 for drop-ins. A 20% service charge (which is another expression of gratuity) is added to each spa and salon service.
The Park Avenue Spa services seem fairly limited compared to other strip spas. Nevertheless, massage, waxing, and facials are offered as well as a special menu for men. Packages are also available.
Restaurants at New York New York
As New York is known for its endless variety of diverse food, New York New York too delivers the chow. There is no doubt more places to eat per square foot than any casino in Vegas. Many of them are chains, but there are many others as well and the best part is they are all reasonably priced.
List of Restaurants and Eateries
– Nine Fine Irishmen
– The Sporting House Bar & Grill
– Gallagher’s Steakhouse
– Il Fornaio
– Chin Chin Café & Sushi Bar
– Gonzalez Y Gonzalez
– America
– 48th and Crepe
– Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
– New York Pizzeria
– Broadway Burger Bar and Grill
– Greenwich Village
Notes: New York New York is one of the few Las Vegas Strip casinos that do not have a buffet. Visitors looking for a buffet are directed to MGM Grand. Excalibur and Monte Carlo also have buffets and are just as close.
The most notable food section is the Village Street Eateries. This area which stays open until 3 AM can be found right near the sportsbook and does a very artistic job of recreating the beautiful Greenwich Village of Manhattan. Their eateries include New York style sandwiches, kosher hot dogs, fresh fried fish, desserts, and of course, pizza. Other notable restaurants are Nine Fine Irishmen, Il Fornaio, Breakfast at The Big Apple, and Chin Chin Café & Sushi Bar. New York New York’s lone 24 hour restaurant is called America.
A look at the Village Street Eateries from our last visit:
Fine Dining
If you are looking for something a little more special, check out Gallagher’s Steakhouse. Gallagher’s, a New York City original since 1927 brings dry-aged beef and fresh seafood.
Bars at New York New York
New York New York is a great place for drinkers and video poker players as there are ten bars to choose from, with Center Bar and Pour 24 being open around the clock. Since there are so many bars, for a flat rate of $39.99 you can purchase a Bar Experience pass which is good for one drink at Nine Fine Irishmen, Bar at Times Square, Coyote Ugly, The Chocolate Bar, Center Bar, and Pour 24. If you’re not playing video poker, six drinks for $40 is a solid bargain we recommend for those who don’t like staying in one place when they party.
Surprisingly, none of these bars provide much room to dance, but if you want to hear some music, Bar at Times Square has the number one rated dueling piano show in town.