Howe Caverns Owners Contend for Casino License

HOWES CAVE, N.Y. (AP) — The contenders vying to build a Las Vegas-style casino in upstate New York include the gambling giants you would expect: Caesars Entertainment, Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods. But there are also a few mom-and-pop players that believe they, too, deserve a piece of the action.

Among them is Howe Caverns, a family-owned roadside attraction that bills itself as the Northeast's largest show cave.

Owner Emil Galasso acknowledges that he doesn't have casino experience. But he says his project — a resort casino with a waterpark and other family friendly amenities — is a perfect fit for an area west of Albany that needs jobs.

Developers are vying to build one of four casinos authorized for the Catskills and mid-Hudson River Valley, the Albany-Saratoga area or the Southern Tier-Finger Lakes region.