ALBANY — In a symbolic rebuke from the leaders of a gambling-rich upstate enclave, the Saratoga Springs City Council unanimously passed a resolution this week declaring its opposition to a new state law that could permit a full-scale casino in their town.
The resolution, which was approved unanimously, comes after months of debate in Saratoga Springs, which is home to a world-renowned horse racing track and the Saratoga Casino and Raceway, a successful “racino,” where harness racing and hundreds of video lottery terminals share space.
But on Tuesday, the Council and the mayor said that, without agreements and specific details, a proposal to place a “destination resort casino” could damage Saratoga’s vibrant downtown and other local businesses, as well as its horse racing industry.
“I would like the applicants to take our concerns seriously,” the mayor, Joanne Yepsen, a Democrat, said on Wednesday. “And we have not had any commitment from them.”
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The resolution will not decide the fate of a full-scale casino in Saratoga Springs, where developers want to expand the casino and raceway to include table games, lodging and entertainment. Under the state law, passed as a referendum by voters last November, as many as seven new casinos will be allowed statewide, with decisions about their locations made by a siting board. New York’s law asks in broad terms for “public support in the host and nearby municipalities.”
Mayor Yepsen did allow that she would “continue to listen” to both voters and the casino backers.
Continue reading the main story“If they put in an application, I certainly hope I have a seat at that table,” she said. “And if Saratoga Springs is chosen, I hope I have a seat at that table, too.”
The siting board is due to issue requests for applications this month. Officials at the harness track said on Wednesday that they were waiting on details from the state before they could address local concerns.
“There are things we just won’t know until we’ve read that,” said James Featherstonhaugh, an owner of the casino and raceway.
Saratoga Springs, about 30 miles north of Albany, has long been a mecca for horse racing fans, with a track that dates to the Civil War, and was the home of a lavish 19th-century casino. But the current plans to expand the harness track have run into a well-organized campaign that has repeatedly pointed out that the new law was not supported by voters in either the city or in Saratoga County.
For their part, members of the pro-casino group called Destination Saratoga said they supported the Council’s vote because it could help reserve judgment on expanded gambling until the casino’s bid is made final.
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