Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to reopen the bidding for casino licenses in upstate New York to allow for a Las Vegas-style gaming hall in the state’s “economically ailing” Southern Tier. The governor sent a letter late last week to the gaming commission.
"I'll tell ya the truth... we have the siting board totally separate from the executive, from the legislative, and that's how I wanted it. These were very, there's a lot of money involved in these applications. And I wanted to keep it as far away from politics as possible." ~ Andrew Cuomo
Truth be told, a chill settled over developers and elected officials in the Southern Tier after the December 17th announcement by the state’s casino siting panel, which recommended the Southern Tier-Finger Lakes casino license be given to a proposal in the Finger Lakes’ Seneca County. Licenses also were recommended for one proposal each in Sullivan and Schenectady counties. Siting board chairman Kevin Law stressed after the picks were made that there were no plans to issue the fourth license. Cuomo added his imprimatur, telling reporters a day later at a Schenectady casino celebration, "It wasn't my place to interfere, and I don't wanna second guess them now."
Binghamton Mayor Richard David says residents there felt cheated. "Because for the last year the discussion has been centered on bringing a casino to the Southern Tier of New York. And only at the 11th hour was the Southern Tier Region, or 'Region 5' as its called, changed to the 'Finger Lakes-Southern Tier Region.' So the concept that it was going to an area several hours away from Binghamton etc. was not only disappointing and surprising, it was very, very frustrating."
That fateful day, December 17th, was a "double whammy" for the Southern Tier. "To have the door on fracking and casinos shut not only on the same day, but within a few hours of each other, those were two really devastating decisions regarding the potential economic impact on the Southern Tier of New York. I think he [Cuomo] recognizes that more needs to be done, and that mistake was made..."
Governor Cuomo sent a letter December 26th to the state Gaming Commission and Gaming Facility Location Board urging it to consider awarding a fourth casino license, this one for what Mayor David and his citizens consider to be the "true" Southern Tier.
Senator Tom Libuous, a Binghamton Republican who is the second-most powerful Senator, responded to a request for comment via email: “Governor Cuomo is going to bat for the Southern Tier – it’s great news. I'm hopeful the commission will open the process for the fourth license in the True Southern Tier."
