Dispute Over Slot Machine Revenue

Seneca Gaming Corporation is unhappy with New York State, as they feel the state is taking more than their fair share. They think that the state is taking more money than they should, and that they should be showing more support than they are for the tribe. They feel that they are going to benefit from whatever slot machine and casino revenue comes in, so they should help them more in making it a possibility.

Rajat Shah, SVP of Corporate Development for the company says that the state should be giving up more of their money to help develop Niagara Falls. They say that of the amount of money that the state is taking in, they should be giving more than the 25% that they currently give to the local government. They think that the amount of tourism that they do on their side of Niagara Falls, as compared to the Ontario side, is just embarrassing.

They say that the state takes in more than $160 million in shared slot machine revenue from the Nation’ two casinos over the course of 2003 to 2005. They say that now that they are trying to start another casino in Buffalo that the state is nowhere to be found, and that they need the governor’s support.

The governor’s office has been silent on the issue, claiming that they have had other bills, etc. that they have needed to work on, and therefore could not answer any of the Nation’s requests for assistance. They say that if the state wants to be a part of this, then they need to step up.




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