Catskills Casino Bids Face Competition

WOODBURY, N.Y. (AP) — Ailing areas of the Catskills finally close to landing a casino after decades of trying could be looking at sharing the jackpot with casinos closer to New York City.

Five of the 22 development groups that paid a $1 million application fee said they were looking at Orange County, within the edge of the city's commuter belt. Big-name operators such as Caesars Entertainment believe a casino on the outskirts of the nation's largest metropolitan region could win big.

But it also would siphon business from any companion casino built in the Catskills. The less prosperous area has explicitly been mentioned by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others as an intended beneficiary of New York's gambling expansion.

Final bids in the process are due June 30.