Why did it take the Seneca Nation and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) so long to resolve a gaming dispute?
The relative swiftness with which Seneca Nation of Indians President Barry E. Snyder Sr. and Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached an agreement regarding casino gambling in New York state — once they got serious about ending the stalemate — makes it difficult to accept that the years-long dispute was ever necessary. In the end, the Senecas maintain their exclusivity to all Las Vegas-style gaming in Western New York, which was granted to the tribe in the 2002 Gaming Compact. They agreed to allow the state to operate slot machines at horse racing tracks in Hamburg, Batavia and the Finger Lakes. So almost nothing has changed since 2009, when the Senecas were provoked by the state’s move to put slots into the racetrack sites. Thursday’s agreement means the Senecas cement their position of operating Vegas-style casinos in their region — and Gov. Cuomo and the state are free to develop gambling sites in other parts of New York where there are no conflicts with Native American interests.Get the Story:
Editorial: Stalemate on gaming revenue finally ended (The Olean Times Herald 6/18) Also Today:
Dyster Played Smart Hand, Is Big Winner in Gaming Settlement (The Niagara Falls Reporter 6/18)
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