Compacts | Litigation | New York

County to file lawsuit over St. Regis Mohawk casino revenues

Thursday, May 2, 2013

St. Lawrence County in New York plans to file a lawsuit in hopes of securing $3 million in gaming revenues from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.

The tribe agreed to share revenues with the state under its Class III gaming compact. But the tribe has withheld an estimated $12 million over claims that the state violated exclusivity provisions of the deal.

Of that amount, $3 million is supposed to go to St. Lawrence County. "We want to get the money that we’re owed and no options are off the table," the chairman of the county's Board of Legislators told The Watertown Daily Times.

The paper did not say if the county plans to the sue the tribe or the state, or both.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has called on the state to expand non-Indian gaming but wants to delay a voter referendum on the matter.

Get the Story:
St. Lawrence County moving ahead with compact lawsuit (The Watertown Daily Times 5/2)
Tribe set to unveil casino expansion (Johnson Newspapers 5/2)
Cuomo makes case to delay public vote on casinos (AP 5/1)
Casino referendum may be put off until busier election year (WBFO 5/1)