New York: Seneca Nation's Rochester casino plan facing backlash over lack of public information

Earlier this month, reports indicated that the Seneca Nation of Indians planned to build a new casino in Rochester as part of their new gaming compact with the Hochul administration. Assemblymember Harry Bronson attended a meeting with the governor’s office Wednesday night, and with Seneca Nation top leaders Thursday morning. However, according to him, there are still a lot of unknowns with this possible deal.

"We met with top officials in the office who are knowledgeable regarding the discussions that they have been having with the Senecas. We were able to confirm that the language they’ve been using indeed was the Rochester market, which was defined as Monroe County," said Bronson, who is the chair of the Rochester Majority Delegation, as reported by Spectrum News.

"What does that mean to our families? What does that mean to the gaming industry here? What impact will it have on the existing casinos? And what impact will have on the thousands of workers who are currently working there who are union workers getting good pay with benefits?" the Assemblymember added.

Bronson also said that there is concern regarding the location of the casino and whether it'd have an adverse impact on the already struggling neighborhoods that already have a high level of poverty. He said the feedback from the public has been only negative and that many voters don’t want to see the casino, especially in the city. 

Moreover, several leaders claim they have been left out of negotiations between the Governor's office and the Senecas. According to Senator Jeremy Cooney, many of the details of these negotiations are locked away in a non-disclosure agreement between the Governor's office and the Senecas.

The Seneca Nation announced last week an "agreement in principle" for the compact

Last week, the Seneca Nation announced it reached an agreement in principle with the state on a new 20-year gaming compact. The state Senate approved a bill giving the governor authority to finish the deal.

"In the Assembly, we didn't take a vote," said Bronson. "Thankfully, I learned of the issue of a potential casino, consulted with my colleagues in the Assembly, and we approached the speaker and asked him to put a pause on this."

As per Rochester First, Bronson said he has learned the possible casino location is the ‘Rochester Market’, and there are whispers this could mean western Monroe County, not the city proper. But Bronson said there is no certainty on that.

"We need to get more information and we need the input of our families in the Monroe County area… I don't think we're going to get sufficient information to take up a vote next Tuesday or Wednesday when we’re in session. So it's my full expectation we'll do it sometime later this year," he concluded.

The Seneca Nation already owns and operates three casinos in Western New York. The Seneca Niagara Casino opened in 2002, followed by the Salamanca location which opened in 2004, and the Buffalo location in 2007.