Gaming compact turns 20
Aug. 18—NIAGARA FALLS — Three casinos.
Thousands of jobs.
More than $1 billion in economic impact.
That's the legacy representatives from the Seneca Nation of Indians said on Wednesday that their casino operations have had on Western New York in the two decades since the signing of a gaming compact that cleared the way for Class II gaming in Niagara, Erie and Cattaraugus counties.
During a press conference outside Seneca Niagara Casino — the flagship casino of the Nation's gaming operation — Seneca leaders and supporters marked the gaming compact's 20th anniversary with a "great celebration" that emphasized the positive spinoff from the casino in the Falls and its sister operations, Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo and Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca.
"We are here today to celebrate a moment of great importance to the history of the Seneca Nation and the history of Western New York," said Kevin Nephew, president and CEO of the Seneca Gaming Corp.
The gaming compact was officially signed by former Seneca Nation of Indians President Cyrus Schindler and former Gov. George Pataki on Aug. 18, 2002. The agreement cleared the way for the Senecas to own and operate Class III gaming facilities in an exclusive territory in Western New York that included Niagara, Erie and Cattaraugus counties.
Seneca Niagara came first, meeting an aggressive timeframe for turning the old Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center into a casino within 100 days of the compact's signing.
Paul Brown, president of the Buffalo and Niagara building trades councils, said the impressive feat speaks to the Senecas ability to get get things done in a region where progress is not always a standard.
"One thing I can say is when the Senecas say the are going to do it, they do it," Brown said. "I'd like to give them all of Western New York so they can get a lot more done."
Seneca leaders said since opening the first casino in the Falls, the Nation expanded to include two more casino operations that currently employ more than 3,000 workers, including about 1,000 each in both Niagara and Erie counties.
Beyond jobs inside the casinos, Seneca leaders said their gaming corporation has provided work for the region's construction workers and contributed to the economy through payments made to vendors who supply food and other items to their facilities. In total, Seneca Nation officials say their casino operations have had an economic impact on the region of more than $1.7 billion over the past 20 years.
Then there are the revenue payments.
Under the compact, the Seneca Nation has paid 25% of its slot machine and video lottery terminal revenue to the state of New York. In turn, the state has distributed 25% of those revenues to communities where casinos are located, including Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca.
Joe Ruffolo, president and CEO of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, which has received $750,000 in casino revenue per year under the gaming compact — said the $15 million his hospital has received over the 20 years of Seneca casino operations helped the hospital build a new emergency room and heart center.
"That $15 million was the catalyst for a major transformation two blocks from here," Ruffolo said.
