Plans for the proposed Lago Resort & Casino in Tyre, New York, might have hit a snag in recent days as opposition grows.
New York Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee Chairman Gary Pretlow announced his opposition to the plan and wants the Gaming Commission to deny a gaming license for the proposed Lago casino.
The Gaming Commission’s Location Board last year approved the casino’s proposed site in Upstate New York, but Pretlow says it won’t boost the local economy.
“The Location Board apparently has never heard of Niagara Falls, Batavia, Farmington, Verona or Vernon, or just don’t care about the people there and the jobs these communities will lose,” Pretlow said. “Shifting jobs is not creating jobs. Putting 1,200 people out of work or forcing them to move to compete for work is not how to revitalize upstate.”
Also opposing the casino is the Oneida Nation, which currently enjoys a state-enforced gaming monopoly in Upstate New York and does not welcome the proposed casino, which would sit just outside of the Oneida Nation’s designated market area.
The Oneida Nation is running local ads opposing the casino and wants state gaming officials to deny the gaming license needed to operate a full casino.
If it opens, it only would harm existing gaming operations, while have zero net effect on the local economy, due to shifting jobs rather than creating them, the Oneida Nation argues.
In a counter-public relations campaign, officials for the Lago Resort & Casino are running ads touting its economic benefits, including the creation of 1,800 construction jobs for the $425 million project, followed by 1,800 permanent jobs for local residents.
