Possible Catskills casinos restarts debate

 

December 21

In New York, over the years, polls have shown that a major part of the residents in or near the Catskills were in favor of bringing casinos to the Catskills. To most people, the possability of the casinos seemed to promise an economic jolt for the lackluster summer vacation land.

For years, the state has been talking with Indian tribes about building casinos in the Catskills. In 2001, a law was passed to allow three casinos. Since then, the topic has been a hot one.

In the past five weeks, New York's Governor has been involved in a flurry of deal-making activities. Notably, the signing separate agreements with four tribes that seek to settle their land claims against the state in return for giving them the right to operate casinos in the Catskills. In a two-day span last week, the governor announced the last two of those deals and also confirmed his pursuit in increasing the legal number of casinos in the Catskills to five.

Right now, the casinos are a far cry from actual construction. The agreements need state and federal approval and must clear several different  regulatory barriers. One thing to consider is that there has never been drive towards casinos in the area like this before.

The Governor's statement that he would turn three casinos into five seemed to catch some Sullivan County public officials off guard. Local leaders said they had not been consulted by the Pataki administration on the matter of five casinos.

The issue has its local supporters, including the business community in Sullivan County, which is said to be pleased at the thought of five flourishing casinos generating nearly 30 million people a year to the area.

What will eventually happen remains to be seen.