Stop Predatory Gambling

Governor-elect Cuomo must act against secret New York casino scheme

by spgadmin

The New York Times reports that lame duck New York State Governor David Paterson is near an agreement with an out-of-state Indian tribe to build a full-scale casino in Sullivan County only 90 miles from Manhattan. As is typical with most efforts around predatory gambling, the Paterson administration conducted the negotiations in secret.

This proposed casino will be in addition to the racino already in Yonkers and one racino being developed at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens, both of which are attached to horse tracks and feature video lottery terminals, but not table games.

Incoming Governor and present Attorney General Andrew Cuomo declined to comment in the Times story.

Casinos best represent what is broken about government today. If Cuomo intends to be the kind of transformative Governor he has talked about it, he needs to take immediate action to stop the secret casino scheme.