Saratoga Springs
The bidding process to operate non-Native American casinos in upstate New York should start Monday, when state gaming officials are expected to adopt and issue criteria for judging resort applications.
The New York State Gaming Commission and Facility Location Board plan to meet separately in New York City to release a Request for Applications (RFA) and other guidelines for applying for up to four commercial casino licenses. Casinos would be sited in the Capital Region, Catskills/Hudson Valley and Southern Tier/Finger Lakes zones. One area could be approved for two.
For state leaders, prospective developers and community groups, Monday marks perhaps the most anticipated date on the state's gambling calendar since November, when New Yorkers voted to amend the state constitution to expand casino gambling. Stakeholders have been waiting anxiously for the RFA document to determine exactly what the state wants in return for a license to run a casino.
"It's a milestone in that it formally begins the process that applicants have been waiting for," said Lee Park, gaming commission spokesman.
The gaming commission will convene at 3 p.m. Monday in Manhattan at the Empire State Development Corporation at 633 Third Ave. The three-member Facility Location Board meets in the same location 30 minutes later. The meetings are expected to last about five minutes each.
The location board plans to adopt the RFA, while the gaming commission could approve a process for checking the backgrounds of applicants, Park said. The request for applications will include the main components of the Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act. Some elements, however, will be left to the discretion of the board.
The RFA will list a minimum capital investment required to operate a commercial casino and the amount of money an applicant would have to pay for a license. Those amounts are separate from a $1 million application fee that is also required.
Monday could be a watershed day for Saratoga Springs. The owners of Saratoga Casino and Raceway — a harness track with video lottery terminals — are waiting to see what's in the RFA before committing to applying for a full casino license. Earlier this month, the City Council passed a resolution that opposes the state's gaming act but also calls for waiting until the RFA is issued before taking a definitive position on whether casino gambling would be welcome in the city.
Reflecting the tension in the city ahead of the RFA release was a letter sent to the state gaming commission from Saratogians Against Vegas-style Expansion (SAVE), which has worked to keep a casino from being established in Saratoga Springs. Group members accused the commission of ignoring their requests for a meeting ahead of Monday.
"The creation of the RFA appears to be secretive and non-transparent," said Colin Klepetar, co-founder of SAVE. In its letter, the group urged the commission and location board to reject sites that do not have community support and asked them not to give extra credit to expanding racinos.
The Saratoga Casino and Raceway has said it wants to start building a $30 million expansion with a 108-room hotel and 24,000-square-foot event space this spring.
The commission cannot meet with everyone, Park said. Its acting executive director previously met with Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen, who spoke of the concerns of pro- and anti-casino forces in the city. Their sentiments were passed to the Facility Location Board for consideration, Park said.
"This is an open, competitive and transparent process," he said. Both of Monday's meetings will be streamed live at www.gaming.ny.gov.
The deadline for casino license applications is expected to be June 30. Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants the location board to start evaluating casino applications in August.
Taft, Stettinius & Hollister of Cincinnati will help members of the location board review and select successful applications.
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