Senecas Halting Construction of Casino In Buffalo

The Seneca Indian Nation has been living dangerously by continuing to construct a casino in Buffalo. A judge has now ruled twice that the tribe's temporary casino is illegal, but has yet to order it closed.

On Wednesday, the tribe ordered the construction on the permanent casino closed on their own. They are stopping the building not because of the ruling, but because of the current state of the economy.

This is not the first expansion project that has been shut down thanks to the economy. Other developers also feared that the economy would hurt them and their casinos, so they have also put a stop on the building.

While many might believe that the decision today was a direct response to the judge's ruling, the tribe is claiming that it did not play into the decision. "A decision of that magnitude is not made overnight," said Phil Pantano, spokesman for the Seneca Gaming Corp.

While the construction will be stopped, the tribe has not ruled out restarting again once the economy picks back up. "We're going to continue to watch the economy very closely," said Pantano.

In the meantime, the decision that was made again on Tuesday is being appealed, and the tribe is hopeful that it will be overturned.

August 28, 2008
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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