Seneca Niagara Begins $40 Million Casino Beautification, Still No Payments to Cash-Strapped City

The Seneca Nation has announced it’s going to begin work on a $40 million makeover of the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in the City of Niagara Falls, because it continues to withhold revenue-share re payments to the State of ny and communities that are local.

The Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino has announced its big revamp, but meanwhile the standoff between your Seneca Nation and hawaii of New York shows no signs of progress, and the communities that host the tribe’s casinos are bearing the burden.

The Senecas stopped making payments over a year ago. Under the terms of a 2002 lightweight, they were anticipated to contribute around $100 million a year to hawaii, a sum that ended up being then distributed between Albany, Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca, in exchange for the tribe’s exclusive right offer casino gaming in those cities.

However the tribe stopped payments that are making a 12 months ago. The 2002 contract expired in 2016, but it was stipulated within that it would roll over for another seven years, provided there were no objections from either party.

‘Defying Law and Logic’

But the Senecas argue that there was no clause that is specific the agreement that said revenue-share payments would continue beyond 2016.

The state has stated here are ‘no legitimacy to these claims,’ plus the tribe’s assertion so it can ‘unilaterally end paying the continuing state share while continuing to enjoy the benefits for the compact has no basis in the compact, law or logic.’

Late year that is last New York State declared the Seneca Nation become in breach of its compact and delivered a demand for lawfully binding arbitration, which, months later, has yet to have underway.

The Senecas are organizing ‘a flowing, landscaped entry boulevard’ to the Niagara Resort & Casino with ‘extensive landscaping, sculpture features. in the meantime’

‘We have very long viewed our Niagara Territory, and this vantage point of Seneca Niagara in particular, as standing during the door that is front Niagara Falls,’ stated Seneca country President Todd Gates said in a statement. ‘As many more people see our resort and discover and rediscover the wonders of Niagara, you want to make an impression that is immediate them.’

Niagara Falls into Disrepair

Nevertheless the actual City of Niagara Falls a community of around 50,000 people that battles to compete on x1bet an level that is economic its more popular Canadian namesake is scrambling to balance its budget without the amount of money it once relied on as a host community. The town has high crime rates, while around 60 percent of residents government assistance that is receive.

Mayor Paul Dyster recently announced Niagara Falls was scaling back projects such as road improvements through lack of funds and wouldn’t rule out raising taxes.

Meanwhile, city councilman Chris Voccio told neighborhood radio station WBFO this week that while the Senecas landscape their entry boulevard, the council will have in order to make ‘some difficult decisions’ this budget season.

Kansas Horse Racing Revival Bill Dies in the Senate

A legislative push aimed at rebuilding Kansas’ defunct horse and dog racing industries has fallen at the first fence.

The Kansas Senate in Topeka missed an opportunity to ‘right the incorrect,’ in the expressed words of Senator Bruce Givens, whoever bill sought to bring back the state’s extinct horseracing industry. (Image: Kansas Public Radio)

SB 427 sought to cut income tax rates for racetracks, which supporters argue have already been so punitive that they will have killed off the once-thriving thoroughbred and quarter horseracing industry in the state.

But the bill was narrowly defeated in the Senate by 20-17, as opposing lawmakers argued the measure would break existing agreements between the state and its four casino operators.

The number of racetracks operating today in Kansas is precisely zero despite its racing heritage. Its famous venues like Eureka Downs and Anthony Downs are shuttered, or into the case that is latter demolished. Horse breeders and owners are forced to journey to other states to compete in races.

Righting Wrongs

SB 427 would have slashed the 40 percent cut the racetracks paid to your state when they were functional to 22 per cent, based on the quantity presently paid by Kansas’ four ‘state owned’ casinos.

‘It creates the ability to, what I love to phone, right the wrong. The incorrect was when the Legislature raised the tax share from 22 percent to 40 per cent,’ the bill’s sponsor, Senator Bruce Givens (R-Eldorado), told the Senate, adding that he believed the bill would create 4,000 jobs.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-Topeka) consented. She said it would revive a business that ‘really requires our assistance.’

‘We need to provide the racetracks a 2nd chance,’ she said.

‘Masochistic’ Litigation

But opponents cited a 2016 opinion from Kansas AG Derek Schmidt warning that the state’s casinos would file suit against likely their state for breach of contract and demand the reimbursement of millions in revenue-share payments since their establishment in 2008.

There is a breach of agreement. There’s no concern those contracts had been supposed to be punitive,’ said Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover. ‘It’s almost like we’ve a desire that is masochistic protracted litigation. I don’t understand what we’re doing.’

The Kansas casino sector is nominally ‘state-owned’ nevertheless the proven fact that the casinos would sue the state to protect their interests illustrates the reality they are anything but.

The bill attempted to handle this presssing issue by allowing racetrack owners to submit a letter of credit promising to settle the casinos. Racetrack owners would be refunded by then the state, which may return 50 % of the racetracks’ revenue-share payments until these were quits.

But also for Senator Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka), this had been too convoluted and the chance too high. She demanded to know why the Senate would gamble on undermining a casino sector that had paid $513 million to state coffers over the previous decade.

Nevada Gambling Enterprises Top $1 Billion in March, Sportsbooks Set Basketball Handle Record

Nevada gambling enterprises collectively won a lot more than $1 billion in March, which marks the industry’s third month that is consecutive the celebratory threshold.

Fans again packed the Westgate’s Global Theater for March Madness, as sportsbooks around the continuing state aided Nevada casinos again win over $1 billion. (Image: Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Statewide, gross video gaming revenue (GGR) totaled $1.024 billion, a 3.4 percent premium on March 2017. Casinos are now 2.85 percent ahead of where they were this time year that is last the first 3 months in 2018.

The Strip ended up being mainly responsible for the revenue surge, as GGR came in 9.1 percent higher at almost $574 million. Baccarat was the force that is driving as casinos won $114.8 million up for grabs game at a 14 percent win rate.

Penny slots accounted for the lion’s share of GGR statewide, with the machines winning $283.3 million. Baccarat was next at $117.2 million, then blackjack ($95.2 million), craps and sports operations (both at $34.1 million), and roulette ($29 million).

Nevada Gaming Control Board Senior Research Analyst Michael Lawton pointed out that January, February, and March’s $1 billion hauls are the first time since 2008 that Silver State gambling enterprises have surpassed the 10-digit plateau in three consecutive months.

March 2018 benefited from A saturday that is extra compared the month in 2017. While gaming was strong, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) reported that visitor volume totaled 3.75 million, a nearly one percent drop.

Sportsbooks Prosper

Along with the March that is healthy gaming includes revenues from sportsbook operations. And month that is last oddsmakers scored a slam dunk on basketball.

A record $436.5 million was bet on the sport, the most coming on university’s NCAA March Madness. Sportsbooks reported a rate that is win of percent, meaning hoops generated more than $38 million for the house.

While the $436.5 million handle is really a new high for basketball, oddsmakers actually won eight percent less than in March 2017 if they won over $41.2 million on a 9.6 % rate that is win.

March 2018 was the seventh straight March that posted a new record handle for basketball, while the appeal of gambling on the NCAA men’s baseball competition continues to increase.

Viva Strip

Perhaps the best news in the launch is the fact that Strip revenues have actually reversed course after four consecutive monthly declines after the October 1 massacre. Strong baccarat play implies that site visitors from parts of asia are time for Las Vegas.

GGR along the Strip decreased from through January october. a main financial concern was determining how long Asian visitors, that are critical towards the main drag, would stay away.

Caesars CEO Mark Frissora stated in October that ‘people in Asia are extremely respectful of the deaths,’ and added regarding a mourning period, ‘I’ve heard so it’s sometimes a period of three, four months.’

Baccarat, the most game that is popular travelers from Asian countries, saw win amounts fall in each of the four months, the largest coming in December when the table game’s revenues retracted 30 percent.

But Frissora being told the mourning period would last as much as four months seems accurate, as baccarat play has posted gains that are big February and March (correspondingly 83 per cent and 115 percent). To date, GGR on the Strip is up 3.3 percent year.