The President of the Seneca Nation of Indians today called on the State of New York to “honor its legal agreements” with the Senecas and comply with the terms of its 2002 gaming compact that provides the Nation with gaming exclusivity in Western New York. At a public hearing of the state Senate’s Committee on Racing, Wagering and Gaming in Canandaigua, President Robert Odawi Porter urged committee chair Senator John Bonacic and other Senators present to recognize that Seneca gaming operations have resulted in more than US$1 billion in positive economic impact for the state and created nearly 3,600 jobs in the region, the large majority in non-Indian communities.
“The Seneca Nation has emerged as one of the leading employers and economic drivers in Western New York. Our ability to continue to invest and grow in Western New York stems from our gaming exclusivity,” said President Porter. “Now, as the Senate considers whether to amend the New York State Constitution to allow expansion of commercial casino gaming, we are here to remind legislators to honor the terms of the 2002 State-Nation compact and to not allow commercial gaming interests to invade our territory.”
In the 2002 Compact, the Seneca Nation and New York State agreed that the Nation would have the exclusive right to operate casino games in Western New York. In exchange, the Nation agreed to pay the State and host communities 25% of the revenues from the slot machines in “exclusivity payments.” Since 2002, the Seneca Nation has remitted US$475.2 million to the State. The Nation is holding an additional US$310 million in escrow due to the state’s violation of the compact.
The Seneca Nation operates three casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca and is the fifth largest employer in Western New York, with an annual payroll of US$125 million. In addition, the Seneca Nation spends
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US$77 million on local vendors and suppliers and in just the past year, Seneca gaming has generated US$149 million in tourism revenue from out-of-state visitors, all of which has flowed into Western New York.
“We strongly believe that allowing commercial gaming interests to operate in the areas of Western New York where the Seneca Nation has gaming exclusivity will undermine the economic stability of the region, and actually result in a net negative impact on the people and communities of Western New York,” Porter said. He expressed optimism that the Nation would soon reach a resolution with the Cuomo Administration on some significant compact violations by the state that have forced the Senecas to withhold and escrow revenue sharing payments to the state.
Porter added, ““We have opened a constructive dialogue with Lt. Governor Robert Duffy on these compact violations and we expect a positive resolution in the near future with the state in order to resume a productive working relationship and to ensure that the host communities are not negatively affected by the state’s compact violation. We hope to open an equally constructive dialogue with the Senators and Assembly members considering this constitutional amendment, and in the end preserve the gaming exclusivity we negotiated nearly a decade ago.” (E-09.06.11)
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