We look forward to working with our coalition members, local elected officials and representatives in Albany to secure a truly fair compact for all.” 'We welcome competition, but we can’t compete without a level playing field. “We cannot and will not tolerate any middle-of-the-night deals that lack transparency, public input and data-driven economic analysis,' Finger Lakes Gaming President and General Manager Chris Riegle said. Rochester Workers United and Horsemen's Benevolent Protective Association are also part of the effort.
The coalition says those facilities employ more than 3,500 New Yorkers, the majority of whom are union members, and pay close to $180 million in annual state gaming taxes. They want to ensure any new Seneca gaming compact protects the future of their operations and the communities they say have come to depend on their success. The Fair Compact for All Coalition includes representatives from del Lago Resort and Casino, Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack, Hamburg Gaming and Batavia Downs. Existing non-native casinos and racinos in the Finger Lakes and Western New York and unions representing their employees are formally launching a coalition to have a voice in the ongoing negotiations for a new gaming compact between the state and the Seneca Nation of Indians.