A Trip To Jake's 58: Suffolk County's First Casino

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Jake’s 58 Hotel and Casino opened as a major new gambling destination on Long Island, bringing Suffolk County its first casino and giving local residents a new place to play electronic slot machines, visit the hotel, and experience Suffolk OTB’s newest venture. Located in Islandia, the casino drew curiosity, controversy, and crowds almost immediately after opening.

Photo: Tami Cooper 2017

Well, I said it was just for a news story. However, I still could not convince myself to leave my purse in the car. Suffolk County’s first casino is big news. However, I am only here to write a story, so no need to carry anything but identification, a pen, and a camera. Well, at least a few bucks. I have been known to play the ponies once in a Belmont blue moon. I could pick a triple and then take some pictures and write my story. Yes, I know, I am working, but I think I can sell to my editor the experience of betting the horses as part of the story.

Jake’s 58 is the name given to Suffolk County OTB’s first horse betting parlor with slot machines. For those who do not know, OTB stands for Off-Track Betting. However, after much searching for the casino’s horse racing section, it became evident that there was no horse betting section. After about 20 minutes of searching for the OTB in the casino, I finally asked a security guard for help. I was pointed toward a corner wall by the casino cashier window.

There were four television monitors on the wall and an electronic betting machine. There was not even a chair that a horse player could sit down on and watch the races, unless you count the chairs in front of each slot machine. I went up to the casino cashier and asked where I could place my bets. I was informed that I must use the machine in the corner to place a horse racing bet. There are actually no tellers taking horse bets. My visions of the MGM Grand Horse Room on Long Island were completely destroyed within seconds. However, to be fair, the casino just opened, and hopefully the management will take into account the whole concept of horse betting in a betting parlor designed to bail out Suffolk County’s Off Track Betting organization, which is based on horse racing. But really, a corner wall!

There is a very heavy security presence in the casino. That is probably a good thing. However, as I set out to take a few pictures, I was told no pictures were allowed. They seemed pretty serious, and I really did not feel like being escorted out of the casino before I got the chance to explore the rest of the floor. So in the end, all I originally had was a single shot taken of the outside of the casino. However, completely disappointed without getting any interior pictures, I went back a few days later, determined not to be stopped. The security guard who had stopped me from taking pictures the first time did not seem to be on duty. So I began snapping away very carefully. I am sure there were some people who did not want to be caught on camera. But I made sure to move quickly and be as stealthy as possible.

According to Suffolk County Off-Track Betting, the casino opened with 250 slot machines. That seemed like a pretty accurate number, as there were three small sections of the hotel lobby filled with the machines. The slot machines were computerized, spinning-wheel-style machines that offered up to five paylines, at least on the ones I took a turn at. The slot machines took actual paper money and returned any winnings on paper credits that could be exchanged at the casino cashier window for cash. At about 10:00 p.m. on a Wednesday evening, just about every slot machine in the casino was being played by a patron. The casino is based solely on electronic video slot machines, as there are no blackjack or other table games. When I went back at around 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, the casino was still pretty crowded, but not as bad as before.

There is a very nice bar and restaurant in the hotel’s main lobby. The main lobby spans two floors, connected by a large open-air staircase. It is a large lobby, but only time will tell how the company plans to install the 1,000 slot machines it has promised by the summer of 2017, in a capacity that won’t allow for an overcrowded experience. The hotel, formerly known as the Islandia Marriott Long Island, has been rebranded as Jake’s 58. The hotel and casino are now owned and managed by the Delaware North Company. The company has a contract with Suffolk OTB to operate the casino.

There has been opposition to the casino by town residents. Only time will tell if any suits brought against Suffolk OTB will alter the organization’s plans for the casino. Suffolk County OTB has argued that the casino will create local jobs and generate $165 million a year in revenue for Suffolk County. One of the issues that has plagued Jake’s Casino early on is the lack of parking. The southern lot, which faces the Long Island service road, fills up quickly. The casino offers valet parking on the north side of the building. However, many patrons have refused to use valet parking and have been parking on the street in front of the south entrance to Jake’s 58 Hotel and Casino.

Photo: Tami Cooper 2017

By observing the casino’s operations from a customer’s perspective, one can see that the Delaware North Company knows how to run a casino very professionally. There was a bit of an intimidation factor because of the high level of security, but in the end, that is probably more of a good thing. It’s too early to tell how successful the casino will be because it seems to be operating at only twenty-five percent capacity. Whether the casino will affect the neighborhood is an important question that will only be judged over time. I just wish there was a place where I could sit down, open a racing form, and bet on some horse races. Guess I will keep placing my bets at OTB’s Racing Forum on Motor Parkway just a few miles away.