Mohawk Indian Tribe A Step Closer to Casino in the Catskills

The Mohawk Indian Tribe has been excited for quite a while now about the possibility of a new casino opening up in the Catskills and now they are one step closer to getting that casino.

The New York Interior Department approved the Mohawk Indian Tribe's casino project environmental review. That means the agency agreed that the proposed casino, which would be built on 30 acres next to Monticello Gaming and Raceway in Sullivan County, would not have any major impact on the environment.

The project is expected to cost $600 million and the recent approval by the Interior Department is one hurdle that the Indian's are seeing as a great gift for the holiday season.

"It's a terrific Christmas gift for the tribe," said Leslie Logan, the Mohawk Tribe spokesman. "That's how we're feeling."

The area in which the Mohawk Indians are trying to build is the same area in the Borscht Belt that many other companies have attempted to build on in the past. It borders the US-Canadian border and if a casino is built there it is expected to revitalize the county.

The construction of the casino would bring hundreds of construction jobs to the area. Once the casino is built it would bring many casino jobs to the area, and the tourism to reach the casino is expected to further revitalize surrounding businesses that are currently boarded up.

The governor now must sign off on the Interior Department's approval, then the state needs to amend the gambling compact to allow gambling in the Catskills as well as the already accepted northern New York, both things seen as technicalities expected to pass.

December 16, 2006
Posted By Bob Hartman
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