Elected leaders in Montgomery County are hoping that their development team will still have the opportunity to compete for a Capital Region casino license after a Canadian led gambling group said that it is still deciding whether continue with its application.
A Canadian led gambling group is reconsidering its casino license application after the New York state gambling commission rejected an appeal for concessions.
It is possible that a Thruway Exit 27 bid will be submitted by the deadline at the end of the month even though the state Gaming Commission has turned down an appeal for concessions requested by the Canadian gambling partners.
Peter Marcil, a member of the group which is led by Toronto-based Clairvest and British Columbia-based Great Canadian, said, “We respect their decision but we’re not ready to fold just yet given how much we love the location and given the strong community support we’ve received from the county and host communities”.
According to Marcil the partners will review their options over the weekend. The group had asked for a 50% reduction in the license fee of $50 million, instead the group offered to pay the state a higher slot machine revenue tax. They argued that the project couldn’t work economically unless the fee was reduced and said that the less populated Montgomery County deserved a reduced fee.
However, the Gaming Commission’s Facility Location Board rejected the request saying it wouldn’t be fair to change the rules. Matt Ossenfort, the Montgomery County Executive, said that the decision means they now need to see “how or if we’re going to move forward.”
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