Compacts | New York | Opinion

Editorial: Communities need Seneca Nation casino revenue

Monday, November 7, 2011

"Seneca Nation leaders have held up $333 million in casino revenue payments to the state and several Western New York host communities since 2009. The Senecas claim that the state violated the terms of its compact by allowing other forms of gambling, including electronic games at area racetracks, into the Seneca "exclusivity" zone.

Earlier this week, the Senecas apparently were on the verge of releasing about $68 million in payments directly to the host communities -- Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca. Sources said the deal was scuttled because the state's letter to the Senecas agreeing to the deal blamed the Senecas for the delay in settling the two-year-old dispute.

No matter which side is to blame for holding up the $68 million, the localities need the money. Niagara Falls alone is owed $53.1 million in casino revenues. While some of that money would be passed along to other entities, such as the Niagara Falls School District and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, it's a huge amount of money for a city with a total budget of about $100 million."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Pay the communities (The Buffalo News 11/5)

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