Interior Department Rejects Catskills Casino Deal

The Interior Department has rejected the proposal by the Stockbridge-Munsee Indians to build a casino in the Catskills in Upstate New York, throwing another wrench into the deal between the tribe and New York State.

The decision will likely nullify the deal, made between former Governor David Paterson and the tribe. In exchange for giving the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohicans permission to open a casino near Monticello, the tribe withdrew its claim on 23,000 acres in Madison County. The tribe, which is currently based in Wisconsin, has its original roots in upstate New York.

The announcement from the Interior Department comes at a time when New York is already fighting land battles with other Native American tribes. According to a report in the New York Times, the Senecas and St. Regis Mohawks have refused to pay the state $235 million in revenue-sharing due to a land dispute, while new Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked Native American retailers to pay excise taxes on cigarette sales on the reservations.

Kimberly Vele, President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohicans, described the Interior Department’s decision as damaging for all parties involved.

“While we believe the department’s rationale is weak,” she told the New York Times, “we are committed to resolving the issues.” She added that the Interior Department had committed “an 11^th-hour about face” when it did not sign off on the agreements between the state and the tribe.

Native American gambling has quickly expanded over the past decade in New York State, with six new Indian casinos and slot parlors at nine different race tracks being opened in the last ten years. While they have been a great revenue source for the state government, they have also led to disputes between the state and local Native American tribes, some of whom have stopped their payments to the state because of alleged violations of their compacts with the government.

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Posted by Senior Editor on Feb 23 2011. Filed under Poker legislation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.