Litigation | New York

Judge sends Oneida Nation gaming lawsuit back to state court

Thursday, October 31, 2013

A federal judge sent a lawsuit that challenges a gaming agreement with the Oneida Nation back to New York state court.

Two towns accused Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) of exceeding his authority by promising a zone of exclusivity for the tribe. In exchange, the tribe agreed to share gaming revenues with the state and remain silent on a referendum [PDF: Proposal 1] to expand non-Indian gaming.

Judge Lawrence Kahn questioned whether the towns have standing to challenge the deal. But he said that issue should be considered by the state court system.

Turtle Talk has posted documents from the case, Town of Verona v. Cuomo.

In a separate lawsuit, the Cayuga Nation is challenging the agreement in federal court.

Get the Story:
Oneida deal sent to state court (The Albany Times-Union 10/31)
Vernon, Verona suit challenging casino deal back in state court (The Oneida Dispatch 10/30)
Federal judge sends suit challenging NY casino deal to state court (AP 10/30)
New York gambling revenues continue to rise (The Buffalo News 10/30)

Gambling in NYS Series:
Part 1: Economic Impact (YNN 10/30)
Part 2: Financing the campaign for non-Indian casinos (YNN 10/30)
Part 3: Exclusivity zones could create more casinos (YNN 10/31)

Relevant Documents:
Oneida Nation Settlement Agreement (May 2013)