The City of Niagara Falls in the state of New York is demanding answers after the Seneca Nation decided to freeze its revenue sharing program with the state. The city is concerned that without the additional funding provided by Seneca’s casinos, the city will be left with less funding than it needs. The situation with the Seneca Nation and its casino is being made even worse with the lack of action from New York’s Governor.
Seneca Nation Payment Freeze Could Hurt Host Cities
Governor Andrew Cuomo hasn’t made any plan to deal with the situation of Seneca Nation. Reports suggest that the government of New York are unsure of how to handle the situation and this is leaving the city of Niagara Falls unsure of how it is going to draw up its budget for 2018.
The Seneca Nation is currently running three casinos. These include the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino, the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca, and the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo. The compact that was signed between New York State and the Seneca Nation means that it is supposed to contribute around $110 million to the state each year.
Seneca Withholds Revenue to Protest
The Seneca nation started to withhold payments as a form of protest. The tribe was protesting the expansion of gambling in New York State, which started back in 2009 with the state allowing casino games to be placed at racetracks west of Route 15. This area was exclusively claimed by the Seneca Nation.
When four new casino licenses were issued in 2014, further resentment between the tribe and the state was created. The tribe has said several times that its issue is with the state and will continue to support the cities where it has casinos. However, the cities such as Niagara Falls and Buffalo are still unsure of the future.
