Stockbridge Munsee Band in Catskills commercial casino race

The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians of Wisconsin has joined the race for a commercial casino in the Catskills region of New York.

The tribe is already pursuing a casino under federal law. The Bureau of Indian Affairs closed the comment period on the final environmental impact statement for the 330-acre project earlier this month.

But the tribe also wants to be considered for a commercial casino. The EIS will be used by the Town of Thompson to determine whether to submit the project to the state of New York.

"Nothing has been approved yet," an attorney who works for the town told The Middletown Times Herald-Record. "But they have done the bulk of the work. I know the project will be ready to go by June."

Last November, voters approved a referendum [PDF: Proposal 1] to authorize up to seven casinos in the state. The Catskills region expected to get two licenses.

Get the Story:
New entry in derby to win approval for Sullivan casino (The Middletown Times Herald-Record 3/18)

Relevant Documents:
Final Environmental Impact Statement | Final Environmental Impact Statement Appendices

Federal Register Notice:
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Fee-to-Trust Conveyance of Property and Casino Project for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Wisconsin in the Town of Thompson, Sullivan County, New York (January 31, 2014)

Non-Indian developers unveil $750M casino in Catskills region (3/14)