BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Leaders of the Seneca Nation are urging the state to treat their people fairly and justly while highlighting the Nation’s significant economic influence across the region.
A recently released report shows that the Seneca Nation’s casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Salamanca, along with more than 30 other businesses they operate, have generated nearly two billion dollars in economic impact and provided more than 8,000 jobs to the Western New York region.
“The Seneca Nation serves as a major economic force in Western New York, generating billions in economic activity while providing essential services to our members,” said Odie Brant Porter, a Seneca Nation councilor.
Despite this positive impact, Seneca leaders expressed frustration on Wednesday over stalled negotiations with New York State on a new gaming compact, renewing their call for action on the long-delayed agreement.
Seneca Nation President J.C. Seneca said, “It doesn’t seem like they want to negotiate fairly anyway, and the way I look at it, they are certainly showing bad faith in regard to any types of discussions that we have been having.”
The original gaming compact, signed in 2002, required the Seneca Nation to pay 25% of slot machine revenues to the state in exchange for exclusive gaming rights in Western New York. That agreement has since expired, and the two sides have operated under temporary extensions while negotiating a new deal.
President Seneca described the negotiation process as a slow one, "The almost stagnant process in regard to any kind of relationships or discussions to get resolved to this compact situation."
He also said he has been meeting regularly with members of the Seneca community to gather ideas about what they want included in a new compact. “We presented it to the governor’s team and they basically trashed it,” Seneca said. “That’s disrespectful in my book, and I am not going to put up with that, the mistreatment that the governor’s office continues to have in regards to the Seneca Nation.”
WATCH: 'We want to have a fair compact': Seneca leaders demand action on long-delayed gaming compact
State officials, however, maintain they are acting in good faith. A spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday, “As a native Western New Yorker, the governor is committed to strengthening relationships with the Seneca Nation — even inviting President Seneca and other leaders to Albany earlier this year for a conversation.”
The spokesperson added, “Our Administration continues to act in good faith toward the Seneca Nation of Indians as we work toward an agreement on the gaming compact that is fair and serves the interests of all parties."
President Seneca emphasized the Seneca Nation’s desire for a fair compact with reasonable modifications: “We want to be able to have a fair compact. We would certainly like to have some modifications from the last compact that we had, nothing really out of line or severe.”
