Seneca Nation is still interested in Catskills off-reservation casino

Tuesday, July 19, 2011  

The Seneca Nation of New York could benefit from a change in off-reservation gaming policy at the Bureau of Indian Affairs

The tribe owns 63 acres in the Catskills. The area is close to New York City but nearly 300 miles from the tribe's nearest territory.

The distance alone would have led the BIA to reject the casino under a 2008 "guidance memo" that makes it nearly impossible for tribes to acquire land away from existing reservations. But the Obama administration has rescinded the memo, paving the way for consideration of off-reservation gaming.

Get the Story:
Nation To Develop Catskills Casino (The Jamestown Post-Journal 7/19)
Seneca Nation Pursues Catskills Casino (Indian Country Today 7/18)

Bush Administration Off-Reservation Gaming Policy:
Guidance on taking off-reservation land into trust for gaming purposes (January 3, 2008)

Related Stories:
Seneca Nation reaffirms plan for Catskills off-reservation casino (7/15)
Tribes hopeful with reversal on off-reservation gaming policy (6/15)
Echo Hawk pulls controversial off-reservation gaming memo (6/14)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
BIA starts new year with off-reservation gaming policy (1/7)
Rejected tribes want casinos too far from reservations (1/7)