It has been ruled from a Second Circuit court judge that the town of Tyre did not properly go through the process of granting a site permit to the Lago Resort and Casino. The ruling stated the state environmental quality review (SEQRA) was not in fact passed with the review of the site plan.
The Oneida Indian Nation called for the disqualification of the license when it was granted and recently renewed the argument after the panel voided the local site plan approval. Officials from Tyre have met to restart the entire process for environmental review, and feel they can address all issues and get back to construction.
Seneca County is looking for New York state to grant the Lago Resort and Casino exclusive gaming rights in a 90-minute radius, which is sure to be a wet blanket to any plans Tioga Downs has for a fourth casino license. Jeff Gural, owner of Tioga Downs and CEO of American Racing and Entertainment LLC, referred to the resolution as a “low blow.”
“Given the number of Native American casinos and racinos near Lago, it’s likely that most of their customers will come from these facilities. It seems a little overreaching to ask that Tioga Downs be excluded from applying for the Southern Tier license because it might take a few customers from Lago,” Gural said.
