ALBANY – New York State, Oneida Nation of Indians, Oneida and Madison counties have signed an agreement settling several long-standing disputes. The agreement would grant the Oneida Nation exclusive rights to casino gaming in Central New York in exchange for sharing a portion of gaming revenues with the state and local governments.
Under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan for legalized gaming, three casinos would initially be approved, which was going to be carved into six regions.
“Today we went from six to five and now we are talking about siting three casinos basically out of five," said Cuomo. “There is a chance that we might eliminate other regions also because there are other discussions under way, so it was anywhere from three out of six to three out of three, and with today, it’s three out of five.”
If one casino is approved for the Catskills, it is believed the EPR/Empire Resorts project in Kiamesha Lake is the odds-on favorite.
The state legislature must first approve legalized gaming for the second time before the issue would go to voters in a public referendum.
