Indian Casinos Seek to Hold Their Ground

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — With New York state about to take bids for its first non-Indian casinos, tribes looking to hold their ground have been upgrading their existing casinos and exploring new ones.

The Seneca Nation already operates three casinos. This past week, it bought 32 acres outside Rochester for a potential fourth. And the Oneida Nation unveiled new cash slot machines at its Turning Stone casino in Verona.

New York is in line for up to seven non-Indian casinos after voters in November approved a constitutional amendment to expand casino gambling in the state. A request for proposals is expected this month for the first round of as many as four upstate casinos to be built in designated areas of the Catskills, Southern Tier and Albany region.