The Seneca Nation of Indians has agreed a new gaming compact with New York State that will extend its gaming operations in the state for a further 20 years.
Terms of the new deal have yet to be released as the compact has only been agreed to in principle. The current compact, which was signed in August of 2002 was due to expire in December of this year.
Rickey Armstrong Sr, President of Seneca Nation, spoke to reporters on Wednesday saying:
“Negotiating a fair compact was critical to the future of the Seneca Nation and the future of Western New York.
Throughout months of negotiation, our focus remained on arriving at a fair deal that secured the future of our gaming operations, the vital funding our operations provide for critical services for our people, and the significant jobs and economic benefits they generate in Western New York. We made it clear that we would not settle for anything less.
Now that we have reached a point of agreement with the state’s negotiators on a framework that we believe is fair, we hope to move as quickly as possible toward finalizing the terms and securing all necessary approvals to enact what we believe will be another historic agreement that builds upon what we have accomplished over the past two decades.”
The Seneca Nation owns and operates three casinos in the state: Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo. All three are “class III gaming” facilities, including slot machines, table games and sportsbooks. The Seneca Nation currently pays 25% of its revenues on slot machines and other gaming devices to New York state on a quarterly basis.
Armstrong did not mention the nation’s complaints over the state’s decision to allow slot machines at horse racing tracks across New York.
However, Armstrong did add:
“We have come a long way, as a Nation and as a region, over the last 20 years, and we have made significant progress in our negotiations over the last several weeks.
“We are committing ourselves to getting this new compact in place so that we can continue to transform life for the Seneca people and the economy in Western New York for generations to come.”
The nation’s relationship with New York State had soured somewhat in recent years and a federal investigation into the nation’s refusal to pay back taxes of $470 million to the state was launched in 2021. However, legal action taken by the nation was dropped in 2022 and tax payments resumed.
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