Three casinos chosen for Upstate NY

Voters in New York chose approval for up to four non-tribal casinos to be built in the state during last year's election. A panel was appointed for the task of vetting up to sixteen proposals in this venture. The decision was recently announced that three upstate locations have been chosen. The Gaming Facility Location Board opted for sites in Sullivan, Schenectady, and Seneca counties. Two of the deciding factors were areas that needed positive economic impact and consideration of casino overpopulation within short driving distances.

A fourth location under consideration was removed from those approved. There were six proposals in the New York City suburban Orange County. Due to environmental and financial uncertainties these bids were denied.

The Catskills town of Thompson will be the home of the Montreign Resort Casino. This will encompass an eighteen story casino and hotel complex. Empire Resorts will be the developer, adding meeting spaces and an indoor water park. A formerly blighted riverfront site being redeveloped will be home to the Rivers Casino and Resort in the city of Schenectady. The 300 million dollar effort will be part of a larger revitalization. The Lago Resort and Casino will be built in the Finger Lakes town of Tyre. It was the largest contender for the region, and will include two thousand slot machines.

The board undertook quite a task, as they received over seventy five thousand application documents. They heard from more than four hundred people during public comment sessions and read over three thousand comments over the several months before the decision was handed down. The three selected projects are believed to have the ability to support around 3,200 full time positions. There are expectations of generating 265 million dollars in tax revenues and 136 million dollars in licensing fees.