Expansion of gaming in New York would break Class III compact

Tuesday, September 6, 2011  

The Seneca Nation and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe won't have to share Class III revenues with the state of New York if expanded gaming is authorized.

The tribes have already withheld recent payments to the state, saying the exclusivity provisions of the compact have been violated by non-Indian facilities. But the deal would definitely come to an end if racetracks succeed with a constitutional amendment to authorize full-scale gaming.

"We're simply asking you let people play different games at the gaming facilities that already exist," James D. Featherstonhaugh, a lobbyist who heads the New York Gaming Association, told The Buffalo News.

The Seneca Nation has withheld an $214 million from the state. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has withheld at least $4.9 million.

Get the Story:
Vegas-style gaming pushed for state racetracks (The Buffalo News 9/6)
Seneca Nation Says New York Violating Gaming Compact (Politics on the Hudson 9/6)