Pictured is Jeff Gural, CEO & Chairman of American Racing and Entertainment and owner of Tioga Downs, as he addresses guests at his racino in Nichols, N.Y. last year, and prior to the decision by the Gaming Facility Location Board’s selection of Lago for a full gaming license. (Photos by Wendy Post)
Pictured, is Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y. Its owner, Jeff Gural, CEO & Chairman of American Racing and Entertainment, remains optimistic that he will be able to soon submit another full gaming application. The Gaming Commission will be meeting Monday, and an answer on the Gaming Location Facility Board’s recommendation to accept Request For Applications for a fourth award of a full gaming license in the Southern Tier Region is anticipated.
In an interview with Jeff Gural on Tuesday, owner of Tioga Downs, he revealed an optimistic view on the prospect of gaining a full gaming license at his Nichols, N.Y. casino. Late last year, the Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) recommended to the Gaming Commission that Wilmorite Development out of Rochester, N.Y. be selected to apply for the gaming license and the build of Lago Resort and Casino in Tyre, N.Y., which is located off the thruway and halfway between Rochester, N.Y. and Syracuse, N.Y.
One of the main blows from this announcement came to Southern Tier candidate Jeff Gural, who had recently invested $14 million into a parking garage at his Nichols, N.Y. location; and the Walsh family, who had plans to build a facility at Traditions at the Glen in Johnson City, N.Y. Both candidates worked tirelessly on their application submission to the board, which included a $1 million application fee.
The second blow in this selection was the fact that the location where the Lago facility is to be built was not considered to be the “true” Southern Tier area for those vying for the license and to all involved in the process; in addition to the fact that the Lago community did not want the casino in their vicinity to begin with, and had filed many appeals to reject its application and build.
For Gural, the other aspect that he felt was not considered in the selection was the fact that he had already invested $100 million, give or take, on the build of the Nichols, N.Y. facility from the ground up – reviving a former race track.
Since the selection, many news reports have circulated regarding the selection of Lago as the Southern Tier applicant for a full casino license. In fact, a report coming from Syracuse, N.Y. stated that the area in which Lago is planning to build was the most impoverished, and its development amount of approximately $425 million would make a bigger impact.
It has also been reported that the Office of New York’s Attorney General is investigating the entire process in how the selection of Lago for the Southern Tier was made by the GFLB. This investigation continues.
The problem for others, with this selection, was a concern that the build of Lago would be within a cluster of already established casinos and racinos, such as the Finger Lakes Casino, Vernon Downs – Tioga Downs’ sister racino, and Turning Stone Casino.
In fact, upon word of the selection, American Indian investors immediately devised plans to develop a “Yellow Brick Road” casino located nearby the border that was exempt from the application process, and located in Indian Nation territory.
For Gary Greenberg, minority owner of Vernon Downs, a track in Vernon, N.Y. that is subsidized by Tioga Downs, the gaining of a full gaming license by Tioga Downs is vital to their continued success.
In a recent statement from Greenberg, he expressed even more concern over rumors that there may be other contenders jumping into the game in Binghamton, N.Y., also in the Southern Tier; but Gural, on Monday, stated that as far as he knows, Tioga Downs is the only one that will be applying for a fourth license, once an approval for the Request For Application (RFA) for the Southern Tier is given by the Gaming Commission.
Traditions at the Glen, earlier this year, announced their withdrawal of their application and threw their support behind Tioga Downs in their efforts to gain the license for the area.
According to Gural, the Gaming Commission meeting is expected to take place on Monday, and he is anticipating the approval will be offered at this meeting for a new RFA.
Gural also noted that if the RFA for the Southern Tier is approved by the commission on Monday, they are ready to move forward in preparing a new one, although it has not been revealed yet what would be added to the already submitted application that would boost Tioga Downs’ chance for a full gaming license award.
“I am optimistic,” Gural stated, adding that he will probably be given 90 days to submit the new application.
In Martha Sauerbrey’s recent “State of Tioga County” address, she vowed that the county would continue to support Tioga Downs in their efforts to gain a full gaming license.
“Although we were deeply disappointed with the results of the Gaming Location Facility Board on casinos, should Tioga Downs need more help in the effort to secure a full casino license, we will be there to support them,” said Sauerbrey.
Rome, Pa. resident Donna Day also commented on the prospect of Tioga Downs receiving a license, stating, “The area needs this. We really need the jobs.”
In the meantime, harness racing is set to open at Tioga Downs on May 2, and Vernon Downs on April 17, with special events and further promotions for guests revealed at that time.
