Island King

What is Island King?

Durango opened in December 2023 following an impressive $780 million development. The property completed its first $120 million expansion in December 2025, and work on the latest project began in January 2026.

The second expansion is expected to take about 18 months and remains on schedule to open during the second half of 2027, according to Red Rock Resorts president Scott Kreeger.

The latest project will add more than 275,000 square feet to the north side of the resort. The expanded casino floor will include 400 additional slot machines, while new entertainment options will include a 36-lane bowling facility and luxury movie theaters.

What is Island King?

The KSA said that applicants were previously required to detail corrective actions taken to address previous breaches and outline measures to prevent future violations.

All submissions must also now include an exit plan – a new obligation that applies across the board. This requirement, intended to ensure orderly market withdrawal, marked a move toward embedding long-term risk management into the licensing process.

It requires operators to describe in detail how they will responsibly wind down their operations should their licence not be renewed or be revoked. Or if they decide to leave the market midway through the five years between renewals.

How to play Island King

These six additions sit on top of the effects that have been running since opening day on Aug. 28, 2025: tornado winds, swirling debris, fog, haptic seats, fire bursts, falling apples, and the flying monkeys version 1.0.

This is the marquee upgrade. In 2025, it was enough for physical monkeys to appear to fly off the screen and over your head. But more than 3.6 million people have already seen that stupid pet trick. The first-gen monkeys were 16-foot helium inflatables steered by drone operators. Their only motion, besides drifting forward, was wing-flapping. They floated more than they performed.

The new monkeys are animatronic. As shown in the video, they’re capable of moving their faces and bodies in menacing ways as they pass overhead during the witch’s attack. They also seem to be hanging from an overhead line, though the Sphere has not officially described the new flight system.