Gov. Andrew Cuomo says it’s time for New York to fully accept the casino gambling industry, reports the
New York Daily News.
Cuomo said his administration has been researching the gaming industry and discussing whether to endorse a constitutional amendment that would legalize gambling statewide.
“The gaming issue is an issue that this state has come to grips with,” Cuomo said during a Capitol news conference.
New York has opened its doors slowly to the gambling industry. Several Native American-operated casinos run in New York, and the state Lottery operates video gambling stations at several racetracks.
Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto said the governor is hoping for a coherent policy to bring together what he described as a “disjointed” gambling system.
Some of the Native-American casino operators are not pleased with Cuomo’s plan, however. A spokesman for the Oneida Nation, which operates the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Syracuse, said Cuomo should channel his efforts into strengthening the Native-American casino industry.
If the Legislature approved such a constitutional amendment, it would be subject to a public referendum.
Similar efforts to approve a gambling amendment died in the first stages of legislative approval in 1997.
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