New York Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) Chairman Kevin Law, is pictured, speaking during a meeting to announce their choices for casino sites back in December of 2014 held in Albany, N.Y. Now, and during a meeting held Monday, the Gaming Commission has put their stamp of approval on the process as well. (File Photo by Wendy Post)
On Monday, the New York State Gaming Commission approved a new Request for Applications (RFA) for the fourth commercial casino license, to be located in the Southern Tier, thus formally opening a new bidding process.
Previously, the New York Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) unanimously approved the Request for Applications on Feb. 27, 2015, and Tioga Downs’ owner Jeff Gural stated in a recent interview that his Nichols, N.Y. team was ready to move forward if the RFA was approved.
He added, in that same interview, that as far as he knows he is the only contender thus far for the full gaming license, although it has been rumored that there may be an outside contender in the Binghamton area.
Also, as anticipated, applications for the casino license are due in July; a final decision though, is not expected until this fall.
“We’ve been working the past few weeks to figure out how to improve our application,” Gural said in his recent interview, “and will be working things out as the process continues.”
“People need jobs now,” Gural added.
Back in December, Gural, as well as Traditions at the Glen in Johnson City were dealt a blow when the Gaming Facility Location Board recommended that Lago, in Tyre, N.Y. be given the opportunity to apply for a license.
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 fourth license for the Southern Tier Region.
The three casino projects already approved by the GFLB board are Montreign Resort Casino in Sullivan County, Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady and Lago Resort & Casino in Seneca County.
To view the Request for Applications, visit www.gaming.ny.gov/pdf/03.23.15.RFA.PDF.
