NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A dispute over the future of the Seneca Nation’s gaming compact with New York is becoming part of the race for governor after Seneca Nation President J.C. Seneca hosted Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman for a campaign fundraiser Monday.
The fundraiser at the Seneca casino in Niagara Falls came just days after Seneca publicly criticized Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul over compact negotiations and announced what he described as an agreement in principle that would include no revenue sharing with New York state.
But Blakeman’s appearance also drew opposition from Seneca citizens who protested outside the casino, raising concerns about both his policies and Seneca’s decision to host him.
Leslie Logan, a Seneca citizen, pointed specifically to Blakeman’s support for prediction markets, which she said could threaten tribal gaming revenue.
“Bruce Blakeman has defended and supported the prediction markets,” Logan said. “The prediction markets are taking a big bite out of not only state gaming, state legal gaming, but also tribal gaming.”
The protest also highlighted political divisions within the Nation as negotiations with the state continue.
“We don’t support that. We don’t support Blakeman. We don’t support our president holding a fundraiser or endorsing this candidate,” Logan said. “We have a lot of reasons to be opposed to Blakeman, but also understand we are also opposed to Hochul.”
The fundraiser followed Seneca’s announcement Friday that negotiators had reached an agreement in principle on a new gaming compact. “We negotiated an agreement in principle that right now contains no revenue sharing provision with New York State,” Seneca said.
The previous compact required the Seneca Nation to share a portion of slot machine revenue with New York in exchange for certain exclusive gaming rights in Western New York. Portions of the state’s revenue were distributed to Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca.
Hochul, however, disputed Seneca’s characterization of the status of negotiations when questioned Monday.
“Currently there is no agreement and negotiations are ongoing,” Hochul said. “And we’ve been involved in productive discussions for some time. It’s a complicated issue. And, we’ll let you know when there’s an agreement.”
The disagreement leaves questions about both the status of negotiations and what could happen to funding for the three cities if a new compact does not include revenue sharing.
Hochul said the state remains committed to financially supporting the communities.
“We continue to step up and support financially Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca because we do not want them to be adversely impacted,” Hochul said.
Former Seneca Nation President Mike Schindler, who joined protesters Monday, said the state and Nation need to get back to the negotiating table and finish an agreement.
“She ought to be in the room,” Schindler said of Hochul. “They should put the people in the room and not let them out until it’s all done.”
Blakeman criticized Hochul’s handling of the Seneca Nation during an earlier campaign stop Monday, saying the state had not been a willing negotiating partner. Later that day, he attended the fundraiser hosted by Seneca.
Spectrum News 1 was not allowed inside the fundraiser.
The timing puts the compact dispute into the middle of the gubernatorial campaign with less than a month until Election Day.
It also raises questions about what approach Blakeman would take to the compact if elected governor, including whether he would support an agreement that does not require the Seneca Nation to share gaming revenue with the state.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to Blakeman’s campaign Tuesday asking whether he and Seneca discussed the compact during the fundraiser and what a Blakeman administration would seek in a new agreement.
Source: spectrumlocalnews.com
