New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is asking state gambling authorities to request more proposals for a casino in the state’s “economically ailing” Southern Tier.In a letter sent over a week ago to the Gambling Commission and its location board, Cuomo says legal authority remains for a fourth license. Earlier this month the board approved three new casinos for the Catskills, Schenectady and the Finger Lakes Region.
Representative Tom Reed, a Corning Republican, says he’s been pushing for a casino at Tioga Downs “from day one” as a step towards helping rebuild the area’s economy…
"It’s not the cure-all for our economic woes of the southern tier. It’s not the long-term jobs and the economic rebirth that we can rely on, but it’s a part of the puzzle, and it’s an opportunity when it comes to job growth."
The commission and board received three applications for a region that initially included the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes together, awarding one license. The two Southern Tier applicants, Traditions and Tioga Downs, have said they would submit a joint bid if the process was reopened.