It’s clear that the infrastructure of roads and municipal services for a casino on the Shinnecock Reservation is not feasable and that other areas, such as the former Grumman site in Calverton, located at the end of 495 – the Long Island Expressway – is much more likely. Looks like this one is coming down to ‘decision time’…
Shinnecock Indian Reservation
The Shinnecocks are based in Southampton, N.Y. Once federally recognized, they would immediately have the right to build a “Class II” casino on their 800-acre reservation, a designation that would mean they could have thousands of video slot machines, but no table games. Like other tribes, the Shinnecocks see a casino as a way to lift their members out of poverty, a condition highlighted by the tribe’s proximity to the extravagance of the Hamptons.
See complete NYTimes story here
1 comment
May 27, 2009 at 10:30 am
John
Someone needs to dig up that study (I think there are a few that showed the same results) that demonstrates that states/cities can only make money with casinos IF they can import gamblers from other states. Otherwise, they are typically money losers for the state (although the casino may still make money). Many states with bloated budgets are expanding their lottery systems (the poor man’s tax) or building casinos (PA now has at least one, CT two, there’s one in Yonkers apparently (I see the ads on the train) and many others). With every state building their own casinos, none will be the cash cows of the past.