Starting in 1821, every form of gambling was constitutionally banned in New York. But in 1939, the door opened a crack with an amendment allowing on-track gambling on horses. Bingo got the nod in 1957, and the lottery for education was approved in 1966. A 1976 amendment led to "Las Vegas nights" conducted by religious, charitable and nonprofit organizations the next year. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the legislature decided, without amending the constitution, that slot machines at existing race tracks, more Indian gambling and multistate lotteries were also allowed. That move was upheld by the State Court of Appeals in a 2005 decision many considered blind to the actual wording of the constitution.
Since gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931, New York money has flowed to other states, but it wasn't until Atlantic City legalized casinos in 1976 that the demand for gambling really hit home. Now, Empire Staters looking for a wager can head to the Poconos of Pennsylvania or to Philadelphia. They can throw dice at the Indian casinos of Connecticut and turn cards in vacation spots across the Caribbean and throughout California and Nevada. But most New Yorkers live nowhere near the upstate casinos, and can't play a legal hand of blackjack or poker in their home state without driving for hours.
What is essential:
· A state gambling commission that keeps the industry fair and clean and makes sure the revenue is maximized for the state, not special interests.
· A dedicated stream of revenue that goes to prevent and treat gambling addiction.
· A plan for Aqueduct, Belmont, the Catskills and the Shinnecock Indian Nation. Tough decisions lie ahead at Aqueduct, where racino operator Genting New York LLC proposes to build a 3.2-million-square-foot convention center and several thousand hotel rooms in exchange for an expansion of its racino and reduced payments to the state on thousands of new machines.
· Down the road, Genting is determined to convert part of the racino into a full casino if it wins one of the seven licenses. Does the convention center deal make sense? Do we need to build such a large facility, and finance it by reducing the state's gambling cut? If so, how much?
· And what of Belmont? If horse racing is to continue in the metropolitan area, Belmont Park, a neglected but lovely track with rich history and a Triple Crown race, is the place for it, but it will need support from the gambling at Aqueduct, or its own casino. And the surrounding community needs serious revitalization.
· It's impossible to talk about Belmont without talking about the Shinnecock Indian Nation, which hopes to support itself with a casino at the Nassau track. Long denied their due by the state and nation, the Shinnecocks deserve a good deal, if not at Belmont then somewhere, and soon.
· Then there is the Catskills. The moldering majesty of this mountain retreat could charm again with the right combination of gambling, accommodations and entertainment. A resort that entertains visitors for several days, instead of just a few hours at a machine, could really increase tourism and attract non-gamblers as well.
Casino gambling should be legalized in New York. It's about time. But it will take more than a few votes in Albany to make it a success. A major chapter of state law will need to be written and skillfully implemented; shrewd development deals must be struck, and our political leaders must make sure the ultimate winners are the taxpayers. Only then will we have hit the jackpot.
And The New York Times has a Very Good Article on Foxwood
The Article examines the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere and how it has gotten itself into similarly sized financial trouble. The interesting thing is that when you are in $2.3 Billion in Debt you cannot support, your creditors are much more realistic about the reorganization of that Debt. Especially when it is an open question about enforcement and collection of a commercial debt from an Indian Tribe. Likewise, it is an open question whether and Indian Tribe can file for Chapter 11.
Leaders of the two largest Indian gaming casinos in New York state expressed doubts about the legislature’s passage of a state constitutional amendment to allow up to seven commercial casinos in the state.
Porter said the state is honor-bound to uphold the exclusivity provision in the Nation’s 2002 gaming compact with the state, which guarantees the Nation exclusive gaming rights in a 13-county area in western New York. The two parties are currently in a dispute over the government allowed and promoting slot machines at privates businesses and three state-run racinos located within the Nation’s exclusivity zone.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said he has no idea where up to seven new casinos should be located in the state, but that he hopes for a "regional distribution" of gambling development deals that would include betting halls, hotels and entertainment venues.
The state's ailing race tracks, however, have been lobbying hard to have them at tracks that already feature video lottery terminals.
“I am cautiously optimistic,” said Jeff Gural, owner of Vernon Downs in Vernon. “I think this is a good first step.”
State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, has been pushing for the expansion of gaming at the tracks, but he said he wants to know what the public will do in the referendum.
However, Governor Cuomo has ruled out Manhattan for the location of a casion.
“We want to create destination locations that are not just casinos,” Cuomo told reporters Thursday.
“Hotels, entertainment, etc., large physical plants, creation of hundreds of jobs — and that’s not Manhattan,” continued Cuomo, noting that influential Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver opposes casinos on the island.
And it appears that Mayor Bloomburg is not the supporter the Governor expected.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said casinos almost never help the areas in which they are located, and suggested instead a Singapore model for legal gambling. He seemed to be drawing a distinction with Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan for "legitimate" casinos in New York.
"Personally, I’ve never thought that gambling’s a great idea," said the mayor. "I’ve said that for the last ten years. But I’ve also said, if it’s gonna exist, we should share in the revenues. So, I don’t know how that’s gonna play out."
The mayor went on to say that if every surrounding state is going to legalize gambling, New York might as well get a piece of the action, but he drew a distinction between how the U.S. does gambling and how it's done in Singapore, a place he has been in the past and is planning to visit soon.
"I went to Singapore I don’t know, maybe ten years ago ... and they use gambling to not help a particular area but as part of an overall economic plan to get wealthy people to come and bring their monies with them. And so they care about entertaining those people as well as having a financial sector to service their needs and cultural institutions."
The Wall Street Journal has raised issues concerning the Bankruptcy Filing of the Western Mohicans of New York. Such concern should be limited to tribes which have land populations and recognition.
HORSES
The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, New York Racing Association and New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. are teaming up to create a program called TAKE2 which will sponsor thoroughbred-only divisions for hunters and jumpers at local horse shows in Saratoga Springs, home of the historic Saratoga Race Course and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. New Jersey horsemen are also sponsoring shows at a show in the Garden State.
Eighteen horses have broken down at Aqueduct since Nov. 30 as racing brass struggles to explain why
Aquaduct has suffered an inordinately high number of breakdowns in the last 3-1/2 months on the inner track, including another one Saturday when the 3-year-old filly Deferred Risk broke down at the 1/16th pole, her right front leg giving way just before the finish line. It was the ninth death in the last 16 racing days.
Two days after receiving a letter from Gov. Cuomo’s office expressing concern over the number of horse fatalities this year at Aqueduct, New York Racing Association president Charles Hayward said NYRA is taking steps to address the potential cause of what he acknowledged is “a big issue,” while also moving ahead on the governor’s request that NYRA form and fund an independent investigation into the breakdowns.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/nyra_president_takes_steps_to_solve_WDdIQ9NuXrhuVsPvg9TdBJ#ixzz1pZjblcCa
