New York Casinos Seek Fair Seneca Gaming Compact

Commercial casinos and racinos in the Finger Lakes and Western New York, along with unions have formed a coalition to weigh in on the compact discussions between Seneca Nation and the state. The group of non-tribal casinos and racinos said that they will not tolerate any “middle-of-the-night agreements that lack transparency, public input, and data-driven economic review.”

Titled “The Fair Compact for All Coalition” includes representatives of del Laga Resort and Casino, Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack, Hamburg Gaming and Batavia Downs. With their latest initiative, they want to make sure that any new Seneca gaming compact will protect the future of their operations and the communities that rely on them.

Calling for Level Playing Field

According to the coalition, their operations provide work to more than 3,500 New Yorkers, with a large portion of them being unionized, and the gaming establishments deliver US$180 million in annual state gaming taxes. Finger Lakes Gaming President and General Manager Chris Riegle said the coalition wants competition but only at a level playing field.

The current gaming compact between the tribe and the Empire State will end on December 9, 2023. But Seneca Nation also noted that its three casinos in Western New York and the Southern Tier offer thousands of local jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in wages and more than US$1 billion in annual impact to the region and the gambling scenery has changed in the last two decades.

Seneca President Rickey Armstrong Sr. commented changes to the local gaming market and their impact on the promises made to the tribe under the current contract are central in the discussions with the state. He added that despite the last negotiation meeting being almost 60 days ago, the tribe is looking forward to returning to the table and potentially finding a new agreement.

Back in June 2023, the Native American nation and the Empire State announced that they had reached a tentative agreement on a new compact. However, after it was revealed to the public that the new contract would allow the tribe to launch gaming operations in Monroe County, local lawmakers, community members, and representatives opposed the project.

But any agreement between the two parties, would need to be approved by the state, a referendum vote of Seneca members and federal approval. Previously, Gov. Kathy Hochul withdrew from the discussions due to her husband being employed by Delaware North, which is also a member of the Fair Compact for All coalition. But he left the company two months ago.

Collecting Donations in October

In the meantime, Seneca Nation continues its contributions to local communities, as at the end of September 2023, it started a month-long donation drive. Via initiative, the tribe wants to collect nonperishable items and help out FeedMore WNY. Throughout October, the nation’s three casinos will collect donations from bettors and award them with casino credits.

Source: Whalen, Ryan “New coalition forms to weigh in on Seneca gaming compact negotiations” Spectrum News 1, October 11, 2023