Emotions run high upon Lago Resort and Casino’s selection for Southern Tier Gaming license on Wednesday

It was a packed room on Wednesday in Albany as the Gaming Site Selection Board rendered their decision on where full gaming licenses would be offered within three regions within New York State on Wednesday. Specifically, in the Southern Tier, emotions ran high as board member Dennis Glazer announced that after careful consideration, that Lago Resort and Casino, a proposed facility that will cost about $425 million and will be constructed in Tyre, N.Y., was selected as the sole recipient of the license within the Southern Tier.

Glazer stated, during the recommendations, that “Lago offered a superior recommendation, and that their submission was recommended.”

Based on this news for the developer, Thomas Wilmot of Wilmorite Development and Management out of Rochester, N.Y. stated in an interview following the decision that he is shovel ready, and should have the license in one month, and that the construction will take approximately 12 to 14 months once the license is received.

“We thought we had the best application,” added Wilmot, “but it’s a process.”

Stephen Donnelly, who served as a spokesperson for the proposed Traditions Resort and Casino in Johnson City, stated that they were disappointed with the announcement, and felt that they would be awarded the project.

As far as any reimbursement from the $1 million application fee that was required by applicants, Donnelly stated that the amount invested in trying to bring the project to fruition is yet to be determined, and that the amount of any return from these funds by the State is unknown at this time.

But most disappointed by the Southern Tier’s selection of Lago Resort and Casino was Tioga Downs’ Owner Jeff Gural.

When the announcement that Lago Resort and Casino was the recommended site, Gural was visibly disappointed, and in a brief interview explained the reasons why he felt the selection was the wrong decision.

Jeff Gural expended $800,000 of his own money prior to the passage of Proposition One in efforts to get its approval by New York State, and then placement of it for voters on the ballot.

Passionately speaking about the impact the selection by the board may have on the Southern Tier Region, Gural stated that this decision to award Lago the license will have a devastating impact on the existing racinos, such as Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y. and its sister track, Vernon Downs in Verona, N.Y.

He also questioned if Tyre, N.Y., which is the proposed location for Lago Resort and Casino, is even considered part of the Southern Tier region.

In anticipation of gaining a full gaming license, Gural had already invested his own money, to include the recent build of a $14 million dollar parking garage at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y.

“I invest fourteen million dollars and I get a knife in the back,” said Gural, who was dismayed that his investments in New York that have already been made were not sufficient enough for a full gaming license to be awarded.

Gural did add that he is not planning to shut down Tioga Downs, as reported one time in another publication, and that he has already invested $120 million in New York State — even though he felt that these efforts, on Wednesday, were overlooked.

“I feel like a fool right now for trusting that investments I have already made were disregarded in this decision,” added Gural.

Tom Osiecki, president and COO American Racing and Entertainment of Tioga Downs who was also at Wednesday’s meeting in Albany, was also disappointed, but talked about the exciting activities already taking place at Tioga Downs in Nichols, and the many events and activities that continue to attract guests, as well as tourism.

“We have so much to offer already,” said Osiecki.

The location board, at the beginning of the meeting on Wednesday, explained that they were looking mainly at economic impact and location.

Also on Monday, the board, although authorized to pick up to four casino development winners, limited the selection to three.

The panel recommended a casino license be given to Montreign Resort Casino on the grounds of the former storied Concord Hotel in Sullivan County in the Catskills. The project is a venture of Empire Resorts, which runs the nearby Monticello Casino and Raceway and EPR Properties. The development calls for an 18-story hotel and 86,000-square-foot casino gambling floor.

In the greater Albany area, the panel selected Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor, a Gelesi Group venture, located on former manufacturing land along the Mohawk River.

For the Southern Tier region, the panel selected Lago Resort and Casino. The proposal is for 2,000 slot machines and is close to several of the Finger Lakes just off the New York State Thruway.