The New York State Gaming Commission is about to have its regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 23. It will discuss gaming matters from around the state. Yet, no information about the licenses of the three casinos that were backed by the Commission back in December 2014 is expected to be revealed.
However, a meeting of the Gaming Facility Location Board is set to be held on Friday, February 27, and the final report on the three winning bidders as well as the potential fourth casino license in the Southern Tier region is expected to be released.
Both meetings will be web cast live on the official website of the New York State Gaming Commission.
And while the gaming regulator is trying to figure out what is best for the state’s gaming industry, residents of Tyre, the town where the so-called Lago Resort & Casino, one of the three approved venues, is to be built, are trying to halt its construction.
Casino Free Tyre, a group of ten concerned residents of the town, filed a lawsuit against the decision of the Tyre Town Board to approve the casino project, which is to be carried out by real estate developer Wilmorite Inc.
According to locals, the environmental review on which the approval was based was not thorough and adequate enough. They believe that the multi-million casino project will have a considerably negative impact on Tyre’s residents and environment.
Moreover, Steve Martin, who is taking the position of a marketing director for Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack, commented that the potential launch of Lago Resort & Casino will pose serious danger to other local establishments, his venue included, and will lead to the production of zero net gain for the region. This, in turn, will impact the economy of the state as a whole.
Casino Free Tyre submitted its arguments on the lawsuit on January 26 and a decision is expected to be announced before the end of February.
It seems, however, that preliminary site work has commenced. James Dawley, a spokesman for Casino Free Tyre, pointed out that although Wilmorite had promised that it would not break ground on the project before a license was awarded, workers cleared the property of trees, dug the parking lot retention ponds, etc.
Back in June 2014, the Tyre Town Board issued a declaration, in which it stated that the Lago project would not have severe environmental impact on the region. Mr. Dawley commented on the Board’s decision to back the construction of the venue as being made without the necessary thorough and adequate research to be carried out.
According to him, such research would have taken up to a few years. Yet, it was completed in a few months. The Town Board, indeed, admitted that there will be certain negative effects on the local environment, but seemed unable to provide substantial arguments on the matter.
The actual construction of Lago Resort & Casino, a $425-million property, which is planned to feature a large casino floor, even larger hotel, and various tourist attractions, cannot start before it is awarded the necessary license by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board.
