Cuomo to Senecas: Continue payments or state will put a casino in Niagara Falls

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

BN has a story up on this.


So this is getting interesting. The Seneca Nation is sticking to their story that they no longer owe NYS funds from the compact and expect NYS to uphold their end of the deal and not allow additional casinos until 2023. Regardless, it looks as if there will be another casino in Niagara Falls in the near future (~10 years) and I think this is a good thing. If done right of course.

A second state casino would not only bring in more revenue for the city but it could also allow the city to leverage fees from the Seneca Nation one they are not under their thumb. Something like 15% of the NF budget comes from the current casino. Imagine what NF could do, corruption included of course, if 25% or 30% of its budget came from the casino? Imagine if they got just a 10% increase in tourism?

[grump]

Leftie, if a Niagara Falls casino works out like the solar panel factory it'll cost the taxpayers millions, not bring in money. A 10% increase in tourism? I prefer to imagine the Titanic arriving in New York harbor; one is as likely as the other.

[WNYresident]

Did the Indian casino increase local tourism? How many new restaurants and/or hotels have been built around the casino?

[jennifer7]

How is NYS going to pay for a new casino when it already has hundred's of billion's of dollars of deficit's, that's about to grow even alot more because the 1st quarter of 2017 showed billions & billons of less revenue was collected then was planned, You think maybe NYS bleeding population loss's has something to do with it lol, NYS doesnt even have the money to pay for building the new bridge over the Hudson River

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Did the Indian casino increase local tourism? How many new restaurants and/or hotels have been built around the casino?

Yes and No. The Seneca Casino has brought more people to NF just on coming to the shows they have. That said, not much of a spin off.


Now we all can agree that NYS is run by incompetent and corrupt morons but that does not mean a new casino can't be done well. It's actually pretty easy.

Step 1 - Put out an RFP that 1 new Casino license will be allowed in the falls. In order to get the license, the project needs to include the following. If you don't complete the following your license is revoked until it is completed.

1. You must build a hotel with a minimum number of rooms. Say 150. Does not matter.
2. You need to include some sort of entertainment space. Maybe an outdoor amphitheater. Charlotte has one. It's similar to what's at Darien Lake but 1/4 the size.
3. You need to include a retail and restaurant corridor that is a part of the project but OUTSIDE of the casino. Set the minimum sq footage of this and designs standards. e.g. Opens up towards the falls.

You can throw in more requirements or you can leave it at that. At the end of the day, just the slot machines pull in about $450 million per year. A full casino license would guarantee close to $750 million a year in revenue. There will be no shortage of casino operators willing to do whatever the city wants, to build whatever extra projects the city wants to get that license.

Want a mall? Sure. Waterpark? OK. Want an annual payment to expand the police force by 50% to make downtown NF one of the safest places in the US? Here is the check.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

How is NYS going to pay for a new casino when it already has hundred's of billion's of dollars of deficit's, that's about to grow even alot more because the 1st quarter of 2017 showed billions & billons of less revenue was collected then was planned, You think maybe NYS bleeding population loss's has something to do with it lol, NYS doesnt even have the money to pay for building the new bridge over the Hudson River

The state does not pay for the casino, you idiot. The state issues a casino license and collects a share of the revenue and taxes. The company that wants the casino builds everything with their own money.

Go back to the basement your moron.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Leftie, if a Niagara Falls casino works out like the solar panel factory it'll cost the taxpayers millions, not bring in money. A 10% increase in tourism? I prefer to imagine the Titanic arriving in New York harbor; one is as likely as the other.

Grump. You know damn well that even in the most struggling areas Casinos do well. You also know that even though NF is run down it still draws people. They may drive right through to Canada but they still are there at some point.


I don't think NYS should spend a penny on this. Just put up the requirements and that's the price for the license. Period.

[WNYresident]

Grump. You know damn well that even in the most struggling areas Casinos do well.

Poor people hoping a buck and a pull of a lever will make their dreams come true.... Sounds like the NYS lottery BS.

[grump]

Leftie, had a mall, went broke ( and malls are dying everywhere). Had a water park, went broke. Doesn't help if folks are just driving through to Canada. If a casino could change all that the one that is there would. You can put anything you like in your RFP but no one will respond if they can't make a profit given the risks involved. And don't forget, the idiot solar panel plant was built pursuant to state sponsored RFP's; the resulting corruption trials begin next May I believe. Niagara Falls ranks right up there with Buffalo and NYS in corruption.

[jennifer7]

Malls & water parks are dying in dying and shrinking areas with poor & dead economys, Malls & Water Parks are booming and new bigger malls & massive water parks are constanly being built in booming & growing areas.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Leftie, had a mall, went broke ( and malls are dying everywhere). Had a water park, went broke. Doesn't help if folks are just driving through to Canada. If a casino could change all that the one that is there would. You can put anything you like in your RFP but no one will respond if they can't make a profit given the risks involved. And don't forget, the idiot solar panel plant was built pursuant to state sponsored RFP's; the resulting corruption trials begin next May I believe. Niagara Falls ranks right up there with Buffalo and NYS in corruption.

Yet these things exist on a stone's throw away on the other side of the border? Why is that? Is it because Canadians appreciate the indoor water park more than their American counterparts or, just maybe, is it because the water park is connected to a hotel/report with a Casino rather than just being a water park in the middle of a parking lot. A setup that would allow a family to drive in from several hours away, park and then leave their car for the entire stay.


You know one of the things I don't miss about Buffalo and one of the reasons I am happy not to live there now is the confident ignorance that is prevalent. This mindset that Buffalo can't be at fault and a damn skill at finding ways to blame things.

It's not an incompetent bridge authority. Birds are the reason new bridges can't get built. It's not anti-business laws and taxes. Not having enough cool people is why companies won't move to the area without massive bribes.

It's never WNY's fault.

[dtwarren]

Personally, I never liked the idea of granting any exclusivity. If we as a State make a decision to permit casinos then it should open to anyone who wants to operate one wherever they want to. Let the Seneca compete on the open market and on a level playing field with all others.

[WNYresident]

Personally, I never liked the idea of granting any exclusivity. If we as a State make a decision to permit casinos then it should open to anyone who wants to operate one wherever they want to. Let the Seneca compete on the open market and on a level playing field with all others.

Yet we have groups of people who have monopolies of services in local/state government.

I do agree with you. I never liked the idea of granting any exclusivity (monopolies) to small groups of people.

[grump]

Yet these things exist on a stone's throw away on the other side of the border? Why is that? Is it because Canadians appreciate the indoor water park more than their American counterparts or, just maybe, is it because the water park is connected to a hotel/report with a Casino rather than just being a water park in the middle of a parking lot. A setup that would allow a family to drive in from several hours away, park and then leave their car for the entire stay.


You know one of the things I don't miss about Buffalo and one of the reasons I am happy not to live there now is the confident ignorance that is prevalent. This mindset that Buffalo can't be at fault and a damn skill at finding ways to blame things.

It's not an incompetent bridge authority. Birds are the reason new bridges can't get built. It's not anti-business laws and taxes. Not having enough cool people is why companies won't move to the area without massive bribes.

It's never WNY's fault.

Leftie, given the fact that the average "Canadian" now wears a towel on his head a water slide probably seems almost like a bath. Want to make New York successful again? Cut the crap with casinos, get the people in this state off the dole, slash spending and reduce taxes. In 5 years people really will be moving here and the News will finally be able to stop writing fake news about it.

[jennifer7]

Leftie, given the fact that the average "Canadian" now wears a towel on his head a water slide probably seems almost like a bath. Want to make New York successful again? Cut the crap with casinos, get the people in this state off the dole, slash spending and reduce taxes. In 5 years people really will be moving here and the News will finally be able to stop writing fake news about it.

In 5 years people really will be moving here and the News will finally be able to stop writing fake news about it.

First, You have stop the people & brain drain from fleeing WNY and from I what I see, hear and on social media , WNY population loss's are going to be HUGE when the next census results are released, mainly because there are NO JOBS !! and then because of the super high insane taxes