The Seneca Nation can't open its off-reservation casino in downtown Buffalo, New York, due to legal challenges. The tribe finished work on the casino last month, a gaming corporation spokesperson said. The 125-slot machine facility could open sometime this summer but opponents want the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to prevent any gaming from taking place on the site. "Everything is ready but the slot machines," spokeperson Philip J. Pantano told The Buffalo News. "They cannot be moved onto the property until it’s legally deemed as sovereign Indian territory." The National Indian Gaming Commission approved a gaming ordinance for the site. But Judge William M. Skretny ruled that the agency never determined whether the land could be used for a casino. The land was taken into trust after 1988. But since the tribe has a land claim settlement, it argues that the site qualifies for an exception under Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Get the Story:
Cobblestone casino is ready to open, but the fight is far from over (The Buffalo News 6/17)