Seneca Nation accuses state of bad faith for gaming talks

Friday, November 4, 2011  

The Seneca Nation accused Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) of bad faith in a Class III gaming compact dispute.

The tribe has withheld $333.4 million, saying the state has violated the exclusivity provisions of the compact by allowing non-Indian gaming. But the tribe has been willing to share revenues directly with local communities.

The Cuomo administration supports the idea but blamed the tribe for holding up an arbitration process. The tribe struck back and said it was the state that has failed to come to the table.

“As we discussed at our August 2, 2011 meeting, the state has yet to meet and negotiate with the Nation in good faith concerning the exclusivity dispute -- a mandatory requirement under the compact before proceeding to arbitration -- and has never provided the Nation with a written analysis of its position on the exclusivity breach issue, notwithstanding the state’s commitment to the Nation to provide this written analysis back in October 2010," Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter said in a letter to the state.

Porter said the tribe supports an "expedited" arbitration in order to put gaming revenues back into the hands of local communities.

Get the Story:
Senecas accuse Cuomo of bad-faith talks (The Buffalo News 1/14)
Senecas want arbitrator to settle dispute with NY (AP 11/3)
Senecas want arbitration on casino payments (Business First of Buffalo 11/3)
Senecas Balk At Providing Gambling Revenue To Localities (Politics on the Hudson 11/3)
Senecas hold off on sharing casino proceeds for cities (The Albany Times-Union 11/3)

Related Stories:
Seneca Nation still holding onto $330M in gaming revenues (11/3)