New York lawmaker representing Rochester opposes Seneca casino
New York state lawmakers believe Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) believes Rochester wants a casino.
Hochul and the Seneca Nation unexpectedly announced in June that they had reached a new 20-year Class III gaming agreement. But a provision that would have allowed the tribe to open a fourth casino resort in the Rochester area quickly faced backlash. Federally recognized tribes are required to enter into contracts to operate slot machines, table games and other Class III games on their territories.
The Rochester casino partially led the New York State Legislature to reject the new provision. The governor’s proposed gaming agreement for New York’s tribes requires legislative support in the state Assembly and Senate.
Hochul was excluded from summer negotiations with the Seneca family because her husband works for a direct competitor of the tribe's casino. After William Hochul left Delaware North, she returned to the negotiating table. Hochul and the Seneca Nation agreed last week to extend the current agreement, which was set to expire on Dec. 9 through March 31, 2024, to give the parties more time to agree on new revenue-sharing terms.
The tribe owns and operates Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, Seneca Allegheny Resort & Casino in Salamanca and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo. The tribe is seeking a new deal that would reduce the 25 percent state tax on its gross slot machine revenue.
Not Rochester Casino
Local officials in Rochester, including Rep. Harry Bronson (D-Monroe), have rebuked the Hochul administration for agreeing to open casinos in their city. The longtime state lawmaker said in July that he had no knowledge of the contract negotiations and had received no indication that a casino was being considered and would later open in Rochester.
Bronson said the Rochester community "has been outspoken in its opposition to casinos in Monroe County." He stressed that if the Seneca family wanted to come to Rochester, they would first have to meet with local officials and residents.
“We want to make sure our community has an opportunity to participate,” Bronson said in June.
When asked by NBC News 10 this week if the city was still at the center of ongoing deal talks, Bronson said the situation was unclear at this time. But he stressed he wasn't the only one in Albany urging Hochul and the Seneca family to stay away.
I believe the Assembly majority is committed to ensuring that we do not introduce another casino that is harmful to our communities, our economy, or the existing workforce in the gaming industry in our region. ” Bronson said.
The closest gaming venue to Rochester is Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack, owned and managed by William Hochul's former employer, Delaware North. Racino offers video lottery terminals, an electronic game that performs lottery simulations to determine the outcome of the game. Everi Holdings operates the central lottery system VLT.
Brief information about Rochester
Rochester is within the Seneca Nation's exclusive zone for slot machines, dealer table games and Las Vegas-style sports betting, as the city lies west of State Road 14.
Rochester is a city of 210,000 people located on the shores of Lake Ontario northeast of Buffalo. This makes Rochester the third largest city in the state after New York City and Buffalo.
However, Monroe County is not exactly an affluent area. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the median household income is just $40,000, and per capita income is about $26,600.
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Source: www.casino.org
