Jeffrey Gural Had Talked about Building a North Jersey Casino after His Original Application Was Rejected.
Jeffrey Gural gained approval today from the New York Gaming Facility Location Board for a new casino at Tioga Downs. The decision was announced by the Location Board on Wednesday, reversing a decision it had made in December 2014.
At the time, Tioga Downs was one of 16 license applications the Location Board reviewed. At stake were up to 4 casino licenses, to be allotted to 3 different regions of New York: the Southern Tier, the Catskills, and the Albany region.
December 2014 Licensing Process
When the licenses were announced, a total of 3 casinos were approved. The casino were to be located in the Finger Lakes, the Catskills, and Schenectady areas. The decision to limit the new casinos to three surprised many observers. So was Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said a week later called for the Location Board to reconsider its decision.
At the time, there appeared to be little chance that Jeffrey Gural’s bid would be reconsidered, much less approved. His bid was criticized heavily by the siting panel, who claimed the financing was flawed and the amenities were underwhelming.
September 2015 Presentation
The tone was much different when Gural and his team made a presentation to the board members in September 2105. The size of the project had been increased to $195 million. The new vision for the Southern Tier gaming complex included a casino, hotel, performance center, and restaurant row. The development means a full casino will be located at Tioga Downs, Jeffrey Gural’s racetrack in the state.
The plight of the Southern Tier’s residents likely played a hand in the decision. IBM and a few other companies had closed facilities in the region in the past year or so, causing a jobs crisis in the region. Citizens had been critical of the decision not to place a casino at Tioga Downs, and had lobbied Gov. Cuomo to do something to grow jobs. A casino was the quick solution, because it will bring over a thousand construction jobs and over a thousand more perpetual casino jobs.
It also is unknown what role Jeffrey Gural’s public flirtation with building a North Jersey casino in the Meadowlands played in the decision. At an Atlantic City gaming conference, Jeffrey Gural spoke on behalf of building a casino in East Rutherford or some other part of North Jersey.
Final approval must come from the New York Gaming Commission, but the commission is the one which appointed the Location Board, so that should be a rubber stamp.
Online Poker Expansion
Sen. John Bonacic continues to champion a poker-only bill in the New York State Senate. In September 2015, the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee hosted a hearing on the pros and cons of Bonacic’s proposal. If passed, New York would become the fourth U.S. state to legalize online gambling, behind New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.
After consultations, John Bonanic told his fellow lawmakers he would make changes to S5302. Such changes presumably would make leave more possibilities open to the legislature, while also making it more likely the measure would pass.
Unlike New Jersey, the proposed bill only legalizes online poker. Online casino gaming with blackjack, craps, roulette, and slots would still be illegal. Poker rooms are likely to work better in New York state than they do in New Jersey and Nevada, because New York has a bigger population.
