New York State legislators appear ready to allow casino gambling in the state, including within New York City limits, according to a story in the
New York Post.
Two of the state’s most powerful lawmakers, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, have said that they would back an amendment to the state constitution that would legalize slots, and card and table games.
Democrat Silver said with gambling resorts already surrounding the state in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, “we might as well take part in the revenues that come from casino gaming.”
Currently, casino gaming is allowed in New York only on American Indian-owned land.
While open to locating casinos in “resort areas,” including the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, Silver has stated his opposition to placing them “in the middle of the inner cities.”
According to a Skelos spokeswoman, the Republican majority leader is “is supportive of a constitutional amendment that will let the people of New York decide.”
With support from both Silver and Skelos, the amendment is expected to pass the Legislature and be presented to voters in 2013.
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