Catskills casino prompts ad battle between tribes

Friday, December 3, 2004  

The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma is running television ads to counter the Oneida Nation of New York.

The Seneca-Cayugas settled their land claim with New York for a casino in the Catskills. The tribe says it will share gaming revenues with the state and remit state taxes.

The Oneida Nation opposes the deal and created an ad saying the Seneca-Cayugas will take all their profits back to Oklahoma. In response, the Seneca-Cayuga ad says the casino will create jobs for New Yorkers.

Pataki used to share the Oneida Nation's concerns and said he wouldn't negotiate with out-of-state tribes. In April 2003, state officials objected to the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe's plans for a casino on ancestral territory in western New York.

A court decision favoring the tribe helped Pataki change his mind but so could have some of his close associates. The tribe hired Republican Dennis Vacco, former state attorney general, as a consultant and enlisted former U.S. Sen. Al D'Amato, a friend of Pataki.

Get the Story:
Tribes Argue Catskills Casino Plan in TV Ads (The New York Times 12/3)
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Pataki now behind Okla. tribe's casino (Ottaway News Service 12/3)