First New Casino Opened in New York State

Over the weekend the first of four planned casinos opened in the state of New York, the brand new Tioga Downs Casino in the southern area of the state.

It is the first casino to open since voters authorised state-regulated gambling facilities in 2013 and will soon be joined by casinos in Schenectady, the Finger Lakes and the Catskills. The Tioga Downs Casino is home to 944 slot machines, 33 table games and a 161 room hotel which is still under construction. It is hoped that the tax revenue from the casino will go to local schools.

The owner Jeff Gural has said that it will primarily serve customers from within a 50 mile radius while the local radio hailed its opening as a chance to reverse decades of economic decline with the hundreds of new jobs it is bringing.