Oneida Indian Nation to Launch New Casino in Syracuse
The Oneida Indian Nation has confirmed its plans to launch a $20 million worth brick-and-mortar casino based on the Wizard of Oz theme. The new casino will be located in the birthplace of L. Frank Baum.
According to an Oneida Nation press release, the casino, which will sprawl over an area of 67,000 square feet, will be ready in spring. It will be located at Chittenango, which is located 14 miles to the east of Syracuse.
The tribe made its announcements four days after the state recommended the granting of licenses for three non-tribal casinos in Syracuse. Oneida Indian Nation CEO Halbritter said that the tribe does not need permission to construct its Yellow Brick Road Casino from local, state, or federal governments as the casino will be constructed on its reservation land.
Gaming Commission spokesperson Lee Park confirmed that the state will not regulate Class II gaming services offered by Oneida Nation.
Halbritter said:
The Yellow Brick Road Casino will create numerous construction jobs for our local trade workers and more than 250 permanent positions once it opens.
But it will be smaller than Turning Stone, a facility that includes not only gambling, but also restaurants, entertainment, golf courses, and hotels. The Yellow Brick Road Casino will offer 430 slot games, a bingo hall accommodating 500 players, a bar, a general store, and two restaurants. It will remain open all day and every day.
Oneida Nation’s new casino will be a tough competitor for the other casinos proposed in the neighborhood. Jeff Gural of Vernon Downs said:
People will go where it’s most convenient to gamble. The casino in Chittenango will now be the closest one to Syracuse, which they are hoping will give them a bigger piece of the Syracuse market.
Halbritter said that the tribe will launch its new casino irrespective of whether the Lago Resort and Casino, proposed by Wilmot, gets state approval or not. He said that the tribe’s decision to construct a casino has nothing to do the Wilmot’s plan. But Gural says that the casino will not only be a competitor for Vernon Downs, but also for Lago. He also opined that five casinos located within a radius of 80 miles will lead to oversaturation, adding that the state panel was wrong in recommending the licensing of four casinos in the same area. Gary Greenberg, a gambling expert who owns part of Vernon Downs Hotel, says that this will kill Vernon Downs.
