Seneca tribe forks over cut of profits to NY state
The 2002 gambling compact between the state of New York and the Seneca Nation Indians brought deliverance Friday of the $68 million dollar share of the tribe’s gambling profit for 2005.
According to the agreement, the Seneca tribe is obligated to give 18 percent of its casino slot machine revenues to the state. That number is slated to grow to 25 percent by the year 2010. The funds were derived from the Seneca Niagara Casino, ($45 million) and the Seneca Allegany Casino, ($23 million) located in Salamanca, Cattaraugus County. The latter locale nearly doubled its total revenue from the previous year. As the recognized “host communities� 25 percent of the states profits will go to the cities of Salamanca and Niagara Falls.
Barry E Snyder Sr., president of the Seneca Nation of Indians, noted that the tribe’s payment shows their commitment to honoring the agreement between his group and the state. Profits from the casino also ensure better housing, education and health care for the western New York tribe. With nearly 4,000 people employed at the two casinos, Snyder added that a foundation of economic growth is now becoming established in and around the region.
-Danny Davis