Former Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson portrays the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls as an island, isolated from the rest of the city. And any development that’s happened in the city because of the casino has happened within the walls of that island, he says.
That casino is an apt illustration of how new gaming facilities in New York aren’t benefiting communities they locate in, he says.
Johnson was the lead speaker during a press conference this morning, which served as the public debut of the No More Casinos Coalition. The coalition is organized by Western Regional Off-Track Betting and Finger Lakes Gaming and Racing in response to efforts to expand casino gambling in upstate. Coalition members who spoke at the press conference expressed particular concerns about a possible Seneca Nation of Indians casino in the Rochester area. The Senecas have hired Flaum Management to scout out a possible casino location in Henrietta, and have also met with Henrietta officials.
A state ballot measure that cleared the way for non-Indian casinos in upstate doesn’t apply to the Rochester area, since the state has granted the Senecas exclusive casino rights in the region. But developer Tom Wilmot has proposed a casino and hotel in the Town of Tyre, in nearby Seneca County.
Johnson and two other speakers at the press conference said that a Seneca casino in Rochester could undermine the business model in place at the Farmington and Batavia racinos, potentially putting people out of jobs and cutting into the economic benefits of those businesses.
Dennis Petrisak, who owns Marketplace Mazda in Henrietta and breeds and races thoroughbreds, said that a local Seneca casino wouldn’t have a spillover effect on local businesses. But the tracks’ equine industry supports local businesses, such as veterinarians and the farmers who sell their oats and hay to the tracks and horse owners. The racinos also send a considerable chunk of their revenues — 65 percent — to the state.
“The economics show that the model that’s there works,” Petrisak says.
A Seneca casino, which would likely have table gaming, could lure away patrons and put the track out of business, he said. The state’s racinos only have video lottery terminals, which are basically slot machines.
Petrisak’s argument was echoed by Sharon Dupler, who has worked at the Finger Lakes racino for more than 10 years.
“Ultimately our jobs are at stake,” she said.
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2014.
I would assume that any casino built near Rochester would include a hotel.
I had friends who loved playing the machines at Batavia. They tried Seneca Niagara, and when offered free rooms, they completely abandoned the Batavia Racino.
All these places compete fiercely against one another and if a big hotel and casino went up in Henrietta, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Batavia and Finger Lakes went completely out of business.
Governor Cuomo wants to bring more casinos to more people so he can be absolutely sure as few people as possible are going out of state for their gambling. And he doesn’t seem to care who gets hurt in the process.
I urge ALL residents to get behind Johnson on this one.
Not necessarily suggesting that I support a casino in Monroe County. But, if the fix is in and there is destined to be a Monroe County casino, then I would suggest that it must be built within the City limits or must provide a direct revenue stream to the City. The reason for this is simple – if it is built in Henrietta, and there is no revenue sharing agreement with the City, then the city will bear the brunt of all of the negatives that casinos bring and receive none of the positives. The City needs to be smart about this.
It is clear to me that the Seneca Nation is trying to sneak a casino into Henrietta. Although the specifics have not been released, a casino would be built first, followed by a hotel, restaurant, etc.
The slot machines and gaming tables are the core money makers. A hotel, restaurant, bars and entertainment are primarily a draw to get people into the actual casino. Please, please, please do not believe promises from out-of-state gambling interests that surrounding businesses will benefit. They will indeed be hurt by the unfair competition.
Are we really becoming a society of mindless minions unable to resist an ever more greedy overclass? Who amongst us wants this overpowering juggernaut to be built; wiping out the surrounding entertainment landscape like an atomic bomb?
Anyone with any ethical integrity at all knows that building this is wrong. With regard to this issue, we should all see Henrietta Town Supervisor Jack Moore and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo as the political cowards they really are.
JUST LIKE THEY DID ON THE FAST FERRY?????
IF there’s an appropriate place for a casino in the Rochester area, it is the former Irondequoit Mall.
Just make damn sure Scott CONgel doesn’t reap any profits.
There was a slight effort by the Seneca Nation to get a casino in Henrietta during the past year… and it was swiftly stopped by the same PAC organization as well as the Henrietta Town Board and the County of Monroe and Maggie Brooks.
Most businesses that try to set up anywhere in Monroe County get the opportunity to present the entire plan to the Town in which they would like to be fairly considered to operate in that Town. The Nation did not get this fair chance as all other business does indeed get a fair chance to present and hear the entire presentation… then the Town Board says yea or ney.
I CANNOT EVEN TELL WHAT THE ENTIRE DEAL WOULD HAVE BEEN AS THE NATION WAS RUN OUT OF HENRIETTA AND MONROE COUNTY BEFORE FAIR CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN. THAT IS NOT PROPER NOR FAIR IN MY OPINION. WE , IN HENRIETTA, NEEDED TO HEAR ALL THE FACTS BEFORE A DECISION WAS MADE. 1600 SIGNATURES AND 100 PEOPLE AT A BOARD MEETING IN 2014 IN HENRIETTA WAS NOT FAIR TO THE SENECA NATION.
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT OR HOW TO BE FAIR IF I CANNOT LISTEN TO ALL THE FACTS FIRST…CAN YOU BE FAIR FIRST AND THEN MAKE A DECISION. THERE ARE 43,000 RESIDENTS IN HENRIETTA NOT 1600 TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
The Seneca’s seemed to be doing more schmoozing than anything else. Do we really need a nearby casino to tempt people? 50% of casino revenues are from problem gamblers. What about problem drinking and all the trouble this causes?
There is no need for casino critics to wait for a long and drawn out sales pitch to finally end. Silence is oftentimes misconstrued as approval. The problem was that Henrietta Town Supervisor Jack Moore didn’t take an anti-casino stand early on. I guess he liked being schmoozed.