The National Indian Gaming Commission have given approval for the Seneca Nation of New York to open an off-reservation casino, The Buffalo News reports. The tribe acquired the site in downtown Buffalo pursuant to a land claim settlement. But a federal judge said the NIGC failed to determine whether the land could be used for a casino.. The NIGC appears to have made its decision yesterday. That prompted the tribe to open the doors to a temporary casino this morning, although litigation by casino opponents is expected. "I expect they were ready for this day," Barry Brandon, a lawyer for the tribe's gaming corporation, told The News, "and they will race to the court house in an attempt to shut us down." The temporary facility has 119 slot machines. Construction on a final casino could begin later this year. Get the Story:
SENECAS OPEN TEMPORARY CASINO IN COBBLESTONE DISTRICT (The Buffalo News 7/3)