\nALBANY, N.Y. (AP) \u2013 New York is gearing up to take applications for four new upstate casinos at a time when some gambling operations in the region are in a slump.<\/p>\n
\tA state siting board is scheduled to seek casino applications in March, four months after voters approved a state constitutional amendment to allow Las Vegas-style casinos beyond Indian land.<\/p>\n
\tA number of gambling operations in New York and neighboring states has reported lower revenues since the vote amid the harsh winter. But applicants seem unfazed, saying that, over the long term, their casinos could tap into gambling dollars now going to other states.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cYou can\u2019t look at a 90-day window. There could be a million reasons you get these short-term ups or downs,\u201d said Thomas Wilmot Sr., chairman of Rochester-based developer Wilmorite, citing state figures. \u201cBut if you look at the last five years, it\u2019s been a very steady increase in play.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tWilmot wants to build a $350 million Wilmot Casino & Resort complex just off the Thruway in the Finger Lakes region, saying it could lure millions more to the area.<\/p>\n
\tThe casinos would debut in a state that already has five Indian casinos and nine racinos with slot-like video lottery terminals. Casinos also are operating in three neighboring states, and Massachusetts is in the process of siting casinos.<\/p>\n
\tSome of those casinos have felt the pinch of more regional competition, including the debut in 2011 of highly lucrative Resorts World Casino, a racino in the New York City borough of Queens. Atlantic City\u2019s casino revenue fell below $3 billion last year for the first time in 22 years.<\/p>\n
\tIn New York, statewide racino net revenue has been down the past two months compared to a year earlier. Resorts World, which accounts for more than 40 percent of the statewide net revenue, has bucked that trend.<\/p>\n
\tStill, more than a half-dozen potential casino operators have expressed interest in putting up the $1 million casino application this year. Those who plan on applying say there is room for more gambling upstate.<\/p>\n
\tThe operators of the Traditions at the Glen resort propose spending $150 million to expand with a casino, even though they are roughly 90 minutes north of Pennsylvania\u2019s Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, 90 minutes south of The Oneida\u2019s Turning Stone casino and 30 minutes east of Tioga Downs Casino, which is also expected to vie for a full casino license.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cA casino at Traditions would help keep a lot of that revenue from leaving Binghamton. I think it would also help draw a lot across state lines,\u201d said Traditions\u2019 Peter Walsh.<\/p>\n
\tCasinos in the Southern Tier could have a tougher time flourishing because of Mohegan, said John Sabini, former chairman of New York\u2019s Racing and Wagering Board. But he believes there is a market in upstate New York.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe just have to be aware of the fact that we were late to the game and that the likelihood is that our facilities won\u2019t be jammed with out-of-state tourists,\u201d said Sabini, now a consultant. \u201cBut rather, we\u2019re playing defense and keeping New York money in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tGov. Andrew Cuomo\u2019s administration projects the four casinos to be located in the Catskills, the Capital Region and Southern Tier\/Finger Lakes regions will bring in $312.7 million annually for schools, property tax relief and local governments.<\/p>\n
\tThey will be competing for at least some gambling dollars now going to New York\u2019s racinos. The racinos in Monticello, Saratoga Springs and Tioga County can apply to become full casinos based on their locations. But there are worries racinos left to compete with Las Vegas-style casinos with slots and table games could face a difficult road.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThere\u2019s a point where you\u2019re going to reach saturation, if you haven\u2019t already gotten there,\u201d said Gary Greenberg, minority owner of Vernon Downs Casino & Hotel in central New York.<\/p>\n
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