By Eileen Buckley
Niagara Falls, NY – A brand new casino is now part of the landscape in Niagara Falls, New York. Despite years of controversy and months of opposition, the Seneca Niagara Casino officially opens to the public Tuesday.
The Seneca Nation said the casino is a chance to generate revenue and significantly improve reservation life.
But it is an issue that continues to divide the Nation.
Since September 22, construction crews have worked feverishly at the former Niagara Falls Convention Center to create what the Seneca Nation calls "a world class" gaming casino.
But not everyone is convinced a casino is the answer to generating cash for the Nation.
Susan Abrams, with the Seneca's Against Casinos, said the gaming compact with New York State still violates the Nation's sovereignty.
Abrams said there has been "a lack of accountability" from Seneca leadership regarding financial disclosures.
"There are no financial disclosures to us. All financial information comes to us from the press," said Abrams.
"We have no idea what the disclosures are, or agreements between Mickey Brown and the Seneca Nation of Indians. We don't have any reports given to the people so we have no idea how this is going to benefit the Seneca people."
After tomorrow, the Seneca Niagara Casino will remain open 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
And Seneca Nation leaders say they are certain gaming will add up to millions of dollars in revenues and profits.
Recently elected Seneca Nation president Ricky Armstrong is positive the casino will be a hit.
"There is a significant market in our part of the country for gaming," said Armstrong. "There are gaming enthusiasts in Cleveland, Erie, Pittsburgh and Rochester who are going to embrace the idea of having a full service casino in a relatively short drive."
Armstrong said that after expenses are paid they expect to have at least five-million dollars per month for the Seneca's.
He said the Nation will finally have the money it needs to improve the quality of life for its members.
"With the money our Nation earns with the casino we are going to be able to take better care of our elders, build roads, build sewers, create jobs, improve education and generally create a better life for our grandchildren -- our future generation," said Armstrong.
But Abrams said she doesn't believe that will ever happen. She said the wrong people will profit from casino revenue.
"The casino is going to make Governor Pataki rich, meaning on behalf of New York State. It's going to benefit the management company. It is certainly going to benefit the Malaysian investor, to the tune of 29 percent. 25 percent of gross revenues to the state of New York, and a percentage to the slot machine vendors," said Abrams.
"So, given, all toll, what we are paying is close to 95 percent. It's going out the door before we even pay expenses."
Abrams' fears are somewhat supported in a recent Time Magazine investigation of Indian-operated casinos across the country.
Reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele found only a small group of Indian leaders is profiting from casino money.
The report said almost 13 billion dollars of revenue was earned at 290 Indian operated casinos in 28 states.
In an interview on National Public Radio's Fresh Air, Steele said only four of the casinos account for 30 percent of the total revenue.
"There is this perception that tribes are being helped. The ones that are being helped, of course, are really being helped. But the vast bulk are not," said Steele.
"It is one of the reasons we think the the Indian gaming regulatory act needs to be revisited. The main thing is it needs to have more focus on actually who's benefiting and who has the likely hood of benefiting from this. There are of these glitches in the picture."
Seneca president Ricky Armstrong said he is aware of the Time Magazine investigation, but did not read it in-depth.
Armstrong said he doesn't know how it applies to his Nation's casino plans and compact.
"I don't know how the other casinos set up their plans, compacts and business plans. I can only comment on ours. And I think ours is going to be very successful and has a lot of planning in it."
Willing to take gamble on construction of the Seneca Niagara casino is a 50-year old Malaysian investor.
Lim Thay lent the Seneca's 80-million dollars.
His attorney said Thay decided to back the casino because of its proximity to Niagara Falls. He is from the same family that invested in the Indian operated Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, said to be the most successful casino in the world.
Mickey Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Seneca Niagara Falls gaming corporation, said the Seneca's initially invested 5-million dollars to begin construction, but needed the Malaysian investor's loan to make it a reality.
"We kept pushing forward knowing it was going to happen believing that if we didn't we wouldn't open until next July," said Brown.
"If we hadn't started the roof in September, we would not have completed it, and therefore we would not have been able to start until April. We would have lost a good six months of operation."
Now the Seneca's have their sights on constructing a second casino in downtown Buffalo.
But it faces strong opposition, and not just from Seneca members.
Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County includes opponents such as State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt.
The group believes gambling in Buffalo would pose a series of threats to the city, offering only a small amount of revenue, while creating new costs for law enforcement, fire and potential treatment for those who become addicted to gambling.
Former Seneca president Cyrus Schindler said they would like to have a temporary Buffalo casino open by June.
But Seneca president Armstrong and Seneca corporation leader Brown would not confirm that date.
They would only say they hope to announce plans "soon".