New Yorkers who were excited about the prospect of having two new gambling establishments built within a 90 minute drive of each other, will have to settle for one, after the federal government refused to give its final okay on a casino to be built by an Indian tribe.
Currently, a brand new 4,500 slots only casino is being built at the Aqueduct in New York, after the then-Governor, David Paterson, reached an agreement with Genting New York. The $385 million project will bring much awaited gambling entertainment to residents of the state and each bit of progress is seen as a cause for celebration.
However, a few weeks after signing with Genting New York, Paterson then went on to provide permission for a Wisconsin based Indian tribe to build a casino in the Catskills – a 90 minute drive from the Aqueduct. It is thought that he gave the green light on this project to settle land disputes.
However, the federal goverment wasn’t too charmed with this idea and yesterday I read that it had said no to the Wisconsin Stockbridge Muncee Community Band of Mohicans for the idea of a fully fledged casino in the Catskills.
Naturally, gamblers would have loved to have two great new casino facilities, and IMHO, their reasonably close proximity would’ve done wonders for prices and competition. Unfortunately, nobody’s listening to my opinion, and many are actually rejoicing that the federal government vetoed this decision.
The New York Gaming Association, which represents racetrack casino operators in the state, issued a congratulatory statement, praising the federal government for stepping in and rejecting this “ill-conceived compact”.
“We are extremely pleased with DOI’s decision and look forward to working with Governor Cuomo and the state legislature to develop a gaming policy that maximizes revenue, creates jobs and keeps the racetrack casino economic engines turning,” they said.
In all events, I’m quite looking forward to when the new casino at the Aqueduct, to be known as Resorts World, finally opens its doors to the public.
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