Rivers Casino sportsbook

Located right next to Van Slyck’s bar, the Rivers Sportsbook is marketed as the first of its kind in NY. Unlike many other properties, Rivers Casino didn’t partner up with an existing sportsbook. Instead, it features a native sportsbook, branded by Rivers.

The land-based sportsbook is more of a sports lounge decorated in a luxurious style, featuring individual VIP club chairs, in addition to table seating. Moreover, the lounge includes five private booths with TV monitors and can accommodate up to six people. The book also features a massive 53-foot LED video wall and 22 more TV screens. It also comes with 14 betting kiosks and six staffed betting windows.

You can bet on an array of sports, including baseball, football, soccer, basketball, tennis and hockey. The sportsbook covers plenty of betting markets, such as straight bets, parlays, totals and even live betting. Kiosks are open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The casino at Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady

The 51,000-square-foot gambling floor offers a selection of casino games, including slots, table games, keno and video poker, inside a modern interior. Casino goers can also sign up for the Rush Rewards program.

Slot machines

Slot machines are the casino’s main game. There are 1,150+ slots available at the moment. Apart from fan-favorites, the casino also offers plenty of new and exclusive slot games in NY from leading providers, such as Bally and Aristocrat. Here are some of the popular titles you’ll find:

• 88 Fortunes
• Buffalo Grand
• Fu Dao Le
• Lightning Link
• Lock It Link Night Life
• Playboy Platinum
• Walking Dead 2
• Wonder 4 Power
• Super Charged 7s

If you visit a dedicated area on the casino floor, you’ll stumble upon high roller slots. Moreover, the property features an all-season smoking patio where smokers can enjoy playing with one-armed bandits. Most slots come with a minimum betting limit of $0.01.

Table games

The casino currently offers 67 live tables, where you can choose from an array of popular card and table games, such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat. Apart from the standard offer, the casino features some specialty table games and a decent selection of high-limit options. Here’s the list of all available table games at the moment:

• Blackjack
• Three Card Poker
• Let It Ride
• Pai Gow Poker
• Mini Midi Baccarat
• EZ Baccarat
• Mississippi Stud
• Heads-up Hold’em
• Blazing 7s Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette

Players who pick Mississippi Stud, Let It Ride or Three Card Poker can participate in the multi-link progressive jackpot and receive additional prizes for landing great cards. To enroll, you only need to place a side wager before every round. Here’s a short overview of the jackpots you can receive by landing certain hands.

• Three of a kind = 9 to 1 payout
• Straight = 30 to 1 payout
• Flush = 40 to 1 payout
• Full house = 50 to 1 payout
• Four of a kind = minor jackpot
• Straight flush = major jackpot
• Five-card royal flush = mega jackpot

Make sure to check the progressive jackpots before you make a side wager. Players who make the side bet also qualify for the envy bonus, which they receive if anyone else at the table wins the mega or major progressive jackpot. In that case, they’ll receive the bonus of $5,000 for a mega and $1,500 for a major jackpot.

Video poker and keno

Video poker plays an important role in Rivers’ offer. There are currently eight titles (both single and multi-hand):

• Double Super Times Pay
• Hot Roll Poker
• 5 Star Poker
• Super Times Pay Poker
• Super Triple Play
• Ultimate X Poker
• Triple Play

On top of that, the property has 20 keno machines with favorable payouts. All of them are located inside Van Slyck’s bar, which is adjacent to the casino floor.

Does Rivers Casino Schenectady offer an online casino?

Online casinos aren’t currently legal in New York. Therefore it is not possible to play legal online blackjack for real money, craps, or online roulette in New York at present. Should that situation change, many top operators would seek to launch their apps in the state, some of which may vie for partnership deals with local casinos, like Rivers Casino Resort Schenectady. These apps might include:

• DraftKings Casino app in New York
• FanDuel Casino app in New York
• BetRivers Casino app in New York
• Caesars Casino app in New York
• BetMGM Casino app in New York

State residents can also expect the launch of new casino apps in NY, too, all seeking to secure a piece of the lucrative market.

Rush Rewards loyalty program

Being a Rush property, Rivers Casino & Resort is part of the Rush Rewards loyalty program. You can sign up for a Rush Rewards card at the Rush Rewards Center at the property. The current hours of the center are:

• Sunday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Once you obtain the card, you’ll be able to collect points while gambling and later redeem those points for free slot play, giveaway entries, hotel credit and food credit. On top of that, members can enjoy plenty of other benefits for being part of the Rush Rewards program, such as local discounts and member-only promotions. The program features a tiered structure. Here’s how it looks:

• Rush Tier: 0 to 4,999 tier points
• Preferred Tier: 5,000 to 14,999 tier points
• Signature Tier: 15,000+ tier points

Some of the benefits available only to Signature Tier members are a faster point conversion rate for slot play; free check cashing; priority at giveaways, cashier and Rush Rewards; and priority seating at Dukes Chophouse. Your tier is determined over a six-month period, twice a year: from Feb. 1 to July 31 and from Aug. 1 to Jan. 31.

You’ll earn one point by spending $5 on slots or $10 on video poker. If you play table games, you’ll earn points based on the game type, length of play and average bet.

Rivers Schenectady poker room

The casino offers a dedicated NY poker room with 16 tables where players can enjoy regular tournaments and cash games, in addition to monthly promotions. Texas Hold’em sees the most play.

Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady amenities

Rivers Casino and Resort Schenectady features stand-alone lodging with The Landing Hotel, which offers 163 rooms. The hotel offers the following to visitors:

• Fitness center
• Sun room
• Parking
• Valet parking
• Internet access
• Gift shop

Events and entertainment

Rivers Casino & Resort offers a range of amenities in addition to the casino and the hotel. Here is a look at some of the options.

• Event center: The Rivers Casino event center hosts interactive performances, concerts from popular musical artists from around the country, dinner shows and more. It’s nestled between the casino and the hotel and offers a 10,000-square-foot grand ballroom, a 9,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, and 9,000 square feet of pre-function space. The center also includes up to five rooms that range between 1,000 and 3,000 square feet. Apart from open events, the event center is available for private gatherings and big celebrations.
• Van Slyck’s: This entertainment lounge is located right next to the casino floor. Apart from televised sporting events, the lounge features live music and a full bar. Those interested in specialty cocktails and craft beers will love this place. On top of that, Van Slyck’s features several table games, including blackjack, roulette and craps.
• Dukes Lounge: This venue is part of the great Dukes Chophouse restaurant. The lounge is located right off the casino floor and features an outdoor patio with an amazing river view.

Dining options

Let’s also explore some of the dining options that are part of Rivers Casino Schenectady.

• Dukes Chophouse: If you’re looking for a superior dining option, Dukes Chophouse is the right place, as it offers a private dining room and an extensive menu. The place is named after Tony “The Duke” DeLorenzo, one of the local legends at Schenectady. Hours for the restaurant are from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. If you’re just interested in options from the bar, it’s open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday to Sunday.
• Flipt: Marketed as an “average burger joint with an original approach,” Flipt offers a range of casual dining options, including burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken wings, onion rings and french fries. If you’re visiting for breakfast, make sure to be there between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Lunch and dinner are from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
• Villa Italia: This popular bakery is for anyone who enjoys pastries, cookies and similar items. It also offers signature “Naughty” alcoholic beverages in addition to many nonalcoholic drinks, such as Lavazza, the No. 1 selling coffee in Italy. Villa Italia is open every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady history

Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady officially opened on Feb. 8, 2017, making it one of the newest additions to the NY land-based gambling family. The resort was granted a license after New York residents voted to open three additional commercial casinos in 2013. It cost $330 million to build and created 1,025 permanent jobs, in addition to 50 jobs for the spa and hotel that were opened a bit later.

Ever since it opened its doors, Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady in Schenectady, NY, has been improving and adding new amenities. Nowadays, it features plenty of dining options, a hotel, a spa and a variety of entertainment.