Queens Aqueduct racino filled to capacity on opening night; 5,000 people waited in line outside, officials said 'I wanted to come here early and hit the jackpot,' one gambler tells News; advocates worry about potential social ills

BY Sam Levin And Tracy Connor NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Anthony DelMundo Hundreds of would-be gamblers swarmed the Resort World Casino New York City in Ozone Park, Queens at its grand opening on Friday.

Anthony DelMundo An Elvis impersonator pretends he's playing the slot machine as he entertain patrons at the Aqueduct racino.

The Aqueduct racino opened Friday to a capacity crowd - and grumbling from would-be gamblers who had to wait hours to get inside.

The operators said 15,000 were inside by late afternoon and with 5,000 on line outside, they were suggesting that people postpone their first visit to the new Queens hot spot.

"I'm very disappointed," said Dolores Daniels, 65, a retired clerical worker from Rockaway Beach who decided to leave.

"They want us to stand in the cold for three hours? I couldn't even get in to use the bathroom."

Those who did get in, charging through the doors at 1 p.m. after a ribbon-cutting, made for the 2,280 slot machines.

"I'm feeling very lucky today," said Maylene Bacchus, 56, who got there at 6:30 a.m. She was second in line and made a beeline for a one-armed bandit.

"I wanted to come here early and hit the jackpot."

Some 200 electronic table games like roulette and baccarat - which critics say violate the spirit of the state ban on casino games - were emptier. "It's very confusing," Lennox Bailey, 35, said after trying his hand at computerized baccarat. "I like it better with the people . . . this is just you and the machine."

JohnPaul Difava, a "slot ambassador" for the casino, argued the faceless table games were "better than going all the way to Atlantic City."

"I'm sure there will be a lot of confusion in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy," he said.

Delayed for a decade and built in a year, the casino is supposed to put more than $1 million a day into state coffers, according to operator Resorts World New York.

Local gaming fans are thrilled they don't have to trek to Atlantic City or Connecticut to dance with Lady Luck, but not everyone is happy.

A union for race track workers held a protest outside, complaining the casino didn't hire its members for a 1,350-strong workforce.

And anti-gambling advocates argue that the economic benefits of gambling parlors are dwarfed by the costs of social problems they promote.

"Crime might go up," said Zenaida Carson, 25, a business analyst who lives nearby in South Ozone Park. "This is gambling and drinking, and it's right next to a school."

It's also right next to Kennedy Airport and a subway station, and supporters are betting that those factors will keep the house full.

Racino spokesman Stefan Friedman called the opening day turnout "unbelievable."

"We're going to be trying to keep the crowds lower the next few days," he said. "We're telling people come back next week."

Unemployed Bronx resident Marcus Wright, 41, couldn't wait and spent part of the afternoon working a Money Catch slot.

"This is so crazy. I'm ecstatic," he said. "I won't go to Atlantic City anymore. It's all here!"