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Westchester County Officials Rally Against Orange County Casino Proposals

YONKERS, N.Y. – Westchester County and Bronx politicians are rallying together to urge the New York State Gaming Commission to outright reject proposals to construct a full-scale casino in Orange County, just an hour away from Empire City in Yonkers.

Yonkers Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer addressing a crowd about the Orange County casino last week.

Yonkers Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer addressing a crowd about the Orange County casino last week.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Rye Sen. George Latimer outlining the reasons Orange County casinos will be damning for Empire City.

Rye Sen. George Latimer outlining the reasons Orange County casinos will be damning for Empire City.

Photo Credit: Contributed

When the New York State Legislature legalized gambling in 2012 and 2013, allowing for up to seven full-scale, non Native America-run, casinos in the state, they did so with an eye toward revitalizing and reviving areas in the state that are struggling economically, namely the Albany area, Catskills-Hudson Valley region and the Southern Tier.

Westchester and Bronx officials are now arguing that the Orange County proposals contradict that ideal.

Mount Vernon Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow (D-89), who chairs the Assembly’s Racing and Wagering Committee and co-authored the bill that was written into law, likened the situation to Orange County attempting to take from the poor to give to the rich.

“The spirit of this law was for economic development, and we wanted to develop Sullivan (and Ulster) County the best we could. That’s what was in everyone’s mind (when it was ratified),” he said. “This was meant to promote economic development in hard-pressed areas. Orange County does not fall into that area.”

As a “racino,” Empire City is not permitted to host table games, just its video counterpart and sports betting. If a full-scale casino were to open just minutes away, the fear is that gamblers would be apt to take the longer trip, stymieing the funds that Empire City generates, a percentage of which goes directly to schools.

“I oppose placing a casino in Orange County," Assemblyman Tom Abinanti (D-92) said in a joint statement. "Instead of promoting economic development in distressed communities, an Orange County casino will drain revenues from Yonkers and further deteriorate the Catskills. Westchester will see a loss of jobs, reduced revenues and less education funding.”

Presently, four cents of every dollar that is generated at “racinos” goes directly back to the schools in that district. In casinos, that money is spread much wider, among multiple entities. Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-35) said that a casino in Orange County would deal a direct blow to her district and constituents.

“Empire Casino is a vital resource to New York State and the City of Yonkers. It provides hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to the state, contributes over $19 million a year to Yonkers schools and supports countless local organizations,” she noted.

According to John Ravitz, the executive vice president and COO of The Business Council of Westchester, Empire City employs 1,400 people and generates roughly $350 million annually for the state.

“Building any gaming facility so close to the ones that already exist is a losing bet for New York,” he added. “Allowing a developer to get a gaming license so close to Yonkers would essentially cannibalize an already successful business.” 

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