WNYC: New York tribes wary of governor's push for gaming

Thursday, March 15, 2012  

"During his State of the State speech in January, Governor Andrew Cuomo said New Yorkers were living in a “state of denial” when it comes to “gaming” (or what most people consider gambling) in New York State.

“It is not a question of whether or not we should have gaming in this state; we have gaming in the state of New York,” the Governor said. “We have tribal casinos all across the state. We have racinos all across the state. We don’t realize it. We don’t regulate it. We don’t capitalize on it. But we have gaming.”

The answer, Cuomo says, is to change the constitution of the state to make gambling legal. He’s asked the legislature to support a plan that could see the proposal before voters as early as next year.

But the two largest tribal gaming nations in New York, the Senecas and Oneidas, say they have been shut out of the discussion about the future of gambling in New York. Neither nation says the Governor has said or done anything so far to allay fears that they could—once again—be on the losing end of state policy."

Get the Story:
The Empire: New York gambling tribes mistrusftul of Cuomo’s amendment push (WNYC 3/15)

Also Today:
The Oneida Indian Nation reacts to legislature that would allow Las Vegas-style casinos in NYS (WKTV 3/14)
Bonacic says Catskills will benefit if Cuomo succeeds in efforts to expand casino gambling beyond Indian reservations (The Middletown Times Herald-Record 3/15)
State lawmakers OK casino expansion (The Buffalo News 3/15)