Categories: Business, News

The state Gaming Commission is uncertain if it will award casino licenses to three upstate projects by the end of the year.

Spokesman Lee Park on Wednesday said “it’s possible” the commission will meet again before the end of the year and “it’s possible” that licenses will be awarded by the end of the year.

“The materials are all with our commissioners,” Park said. “It’s up to them. The Gaming Commission is moving as expeditiously as possible and is doing it right.”

The Gaming Facility Location Board recommended casino projects in Schenectady; Thompson, Sullivan County; and Tyre, Seneca County for licenses last December.

Park said changes to the three applications since then have been “fully reviewed and vetted.” State police also conducted background checks on the developers and operators of the projects.

“There are three applicants being reviewed and each is being reviewed on their merits and materials,” he said. “They are not being compared to each other and each are seeking individual licenses.”

The Lago Resort and Casino in the Finger Lakes has faced legal challenges and issues with the project’s site plan.

Park said the Gaming Commission is not legally required to award licenses at a certain time or all at once.

Previously, Park repeatedly said that licenses would be awarded by the end of the year. Licenses could have been awarded as early as Sept. 30.

A meeting of the Gaming Commission has not yet been scheduled for December. It is unclear whether the commission will hold another meeting before the end of the year.

A fourth casino license was also recommended in October to turn Tioga Downs racino in Nichols, Tioga County, into a full-scale casino.





The Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor is on hold at the old Alco site in Schenectady while the Galesi Group moves forward with apartments, hotels and a harbor on the 60-acre property.

The Rotterdam developer is partnering with Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming on the $330 million casino that will have a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,150 slot machines and 66 table games.

Rush Street officials have said the casino could be built within 16 to 18 months of receiving a license. It’s unclear if that time frame still stands going into the winter months.

Galesi Group COO David Buicko declined to comment, referring all questions to Rush Street Gaming.

In a prepared statement, Rush Street Gaming said, “Rivers Casino and Resort is prepared to break ground upon licensure by the state Gaming Commission. We anticipate Rivers Casino will be open well within the required 24-month window, and we look forward to making a positive impact on the Capital Region economy and bringing jobs to upstate New York.”

The Alco site, renamed Mohawk Harbor, is undergoing a transformation, with the harbor already carved out and construction ongoing for a 124-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel and about 200-unit apartment building.

Also planned on the riverfront site are condominiums, townhouses, office and retail space, and biking and walking paths.