CASINOS: Who’s who in the high stakes Catskill casino game? Three spots for Indian casinos in the Catskills. That’s the number of players New York will allow, according to the bill passed last week… Steve Israel,The Times Herald-Record

CASINOS: Who’s who in the high stakes Catskill casino game?

Three spots for Indian casinos in the Catskills. That’s the number of players New York will allow, according to the bill passed last week by the state Legislature.

At least seven players want in the game.

Who gets to play?

Here’s a snapshot of the players racing to build the closest casinos to the most lucrative market in the world — the New York City metropolitan area.

In the game

The St. Regis Mohawk/Park Place Entertainment casino at Kutsher’s Sports Academy in Anawana Lake.

The Mohawks and their management company, Park Place, say they hope to break ground for their $500 million resort casino next year. That means it could open in 2004.

The Mohawks and Park Place filed their application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which grants final casino approval. They won the county’s crucial support in exchange for a $15 million-per-year compensation deal for the tax-free casino. They’ve started the local approval process. The Mohawks are talking to Gov. George Pataki’s office about a gaming compact. They already have a compact for their casino on the Canadian border and say it just has to be amended for a new casino. The Mohawks are disappointed the state deal didn’t specifically give them a spot at the table.

Waiting to be dealt

The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans and Trading Cove Associates casino in Bridgeville, just off Route 17 Exit 107, overlooking the Neversink River.

The Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans and Trading Cove Associates have been working quietly for about a year to build a Mohegan-Sun style casino in Sullivan. Now they say a casino could open in 2003.

The Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans, who have roots in the Hudson Valley, are just about ready to file their BIA application. They’re talking to Pataki’s office about a gaming compact in exchange for their New York land claim. They’re also talking to the county about a compensation deal. They say they’re ready to start the local approval process.

The Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans have one ace in the hole. If, and when, they win federal approval to take the Bridgeville land in trust for a casino, they do not have to get an OK of a casino management deal, like Park Place must do for its casino. Trading Cove Associates, which developed and managed Mohegan Sun, is just helping the tribe develop its Bridgeville casino, which will not be built with a hotel. The Mohicans say they will run their own casino, like they do in Wisconsin, where they’re now based.

Holding lots of cards

Rochester developer David Flaum, who wants to build a casino at one of his two planned resorts in Mamakating, one on the Shawangunk Ridge, the other in Wurtsboro Hills.

Flaum may not yet have a solid deal with a tribe, but he has the location closest to New York City. Flaum also has close ties with the Seneca Nation of western New York — and Gov. Pataki. The state’s new casino deal calls for three Seneca casinos in western New York. Location gives Flaum an instant edge. The Seneca connection helps. Don’t rule out a Flaum deal with another tribe, or another location.

Itching to get in

The Oneida Nation of New York.

The tribe, which once planned to build a casino at Monticello Raceway, has a huge land claim against New York that must be settled. It also runs a successful New York casino, Turning Stone, near Syracuse.

Assemblyman Jake Gunther, who’s been pushing for Sullivan County gaming for years, says the Oneidas are already talking to the state. New York might be happy to grant the Oneidas rights to a casino in exchange for settlement of the claim. Like the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, the Oneidas run their own casino and would not need management approval.

The wild card

Catskill Development.

If it weren’t for Sullivan County natives Robert Berman and Cliff Ehrlich, the race for a Sullivan casino may not have become so crowded. They beat the odds and won federal approval to take the land at Monticello Raceway in trust for a St. Regis Mohawk casino — after splitting with the Oneidas.

Days after the approval, Park Place lured the Mohawks to its deal for a casino at Kutsher’s. That left Catskill with a federally approved site, but no tribe. Catskill now has a billion-dollar lawsuit against Park Place.

It’s still talking to tribes and management groups about a casino at the Raceway. But it appears that Catskill would have to go through the federal approval process all over again with any tribe but the Mohawks. That’s according to Keith Parsky, acting public affairs director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He says:

“(The approval) for the Mohawk tribe proposal does not carry over to another tribe or another site. It’s a one shot deal. Any new proposal for a different site, a different tribe or a different gaming manager would have to be submitted to the BIA gaming office in Nashville and the process would have to start all over again.”

Looking to get in

The Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Oneidas, who have roots in New York, say they’d like to build a casino in Sullivan. They’ve been looking at land in Mamakating. The Oneidas have a good hand because they’re part of the same land claim as the Oneida Nation of New York and they would manage their casino, like they do in Green Bay.

Also looking

At least one major Las Vegas gambling company.

Could host an Indian Casino

The Nevele Grande Resort in Ellenville.

Even though its co-owner says he knows nothing about a casino coming to his Ulster County resort, politicians like Gunther keep mentioning it as a possible site. Perhaps that’s because the state Legislature named Ulster and Sullivan Counties in its bill for three Catskill casinos.

While Nevele co-owner Mitchell Wolff said he wasn’t aware of any casino deal for his hotel, he did say one “would be terrific.”

Could return to the table

The Cayuga Nation of New York.

The Cayugas were close to a deal with Catskill Development for a Monticello Raceway casino, but it fell through because of opposition to gambling in the tribe.

The Obstacles

Donald Trump — and other Atlantic City casino owners, except Park Place. They don’t want competition. They could back lawsuits claiming New York casinos violate the state constitution.

Saratoga, which doesn’t want the Catskills to funnel away tourism dollars. It could also back anti-casino lawsuits.

Anti-gambling activists and politicians, who will file lawsuits claiming any New York casino is illegal.

Environmental groups have said they will fight casino development that threatens the environment. A big battleground could be Mamakating, which is home to environmentally sensitive spots and has already faced local and national opposition to development.

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