As the financial losses continue to mount for the City of Niagara Falls, Mayor Paul Dyster is welcoming Governor Cuomo's plans for more casinos. A long-standing dispute between the Seneca Nation of Indians and New York State has so far cost the city more than $60 million. Casino revenue sharing stopped several years ago with the Senecas claiming their exclusivity agreement was violated by the state allowing slot machines at race tracks.
But if the Falls continues losing money, Mayor Dyster says there has to be an alternative, like the one Cuomo is proposing.
"I think this simultaneously serves two very important important purposes It increases the state's leverage to try to get a negotiated settlement with the Senecas. At the same time, it outlines a potential path if the dispute cannot be resolved and the state decides it has to go in a different direction," Dyster said.
That could lead to competition for the Seneca Niagara Casino. Dyster says business may not double overnight, but he points out Cuomo is also pushing for expansion of the region's tourism industry.
"If you have additional hotel rooms, restaurants, retail and attractions, then this becomes increasingly a destination for people for longer visits, then that increases your ability to support the gaming industry, as well," the mayor told WBFO News..
Dyster, however, says he believes there is an upper limit on how many casinos the economy can support and he wants to make sure they would be viable first.
