ALBANY—New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a resort gaming destination plan that calls for the selection of three casino sites in Upstate New York.
The governor's plan calls for a non-political independent process for the siting of resort gaming destinations, criteria for selecting the gaming operators, and a breakdown on the distribution of revenue. Under the plan, Upstate New York would be divided into six regions, and three casino resorts would be bid out with only one resort eligible to be located within a region. The casino siting selection process will not include New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, and Putnam counties.
“Our state has a unique opportunity to revitalize the local economies of communities in Upstate New York and create thousands of new jobs where they are needed most," Gov. Cuomo says. "For years neighboring states like Connecticut and New Jersey have benefited from New Yorkers leaving our state to visit their gaming facilities. We want to reverse this trend by putting new resort destinations in Upstate New York, a strategy that will attract more tourists and visitors to come and shop at our local businesses, visit regional attractions, and help create new jobs in our communities.”
He also proposes the selection of an independent selection commission to review and select the three casino locations. The Commission would include experts in real estate and finance and would also include a financial advisor to be selected by the commission members. The plan as presented states that the New York State Legislature would not be involved in the process of selecting upstate gaming locations.
Other key facets of the plan are that winning projects would be given a five-year exclusive period with no additional casinos cited in New York City or Upstate. Racinos would be able to compete as well as a casino location, and all contracts with horse tracks would be honored.
The plan also included provisions concerning existing Indian gaming facilities in the state. An Indian Nation with a zone of exclusivity would have that zone honored by the state when siting new resorts, as long as the compact between the nation and the state is in good standing, according to the governor's plan. If the compact were not in good standing, the region would be eligible for a commercial (non-Indian) gaming resort.
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