New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is dismissing efforts to develop a casino at Belmont Park, which would serve as direct competition to the nearby video lottery terminal facility at Aqueduct.
The governor is, instead, supporting an effort by the Malaysian-based Genting, operator of the Aqueduct casino, to build the world’s largest convention center on the site, as well as to get rights to offer now-banned gambling such as table games.
“My instinct is it would not make sense to have two (casinos) back-to-back at Aqueduct and Belmont," the governor told the editorial board at Long Island-based Newsday Feb. 2. “My guess is that it would not make sense from a planning point of view."
The idea of a casino at Belmont has been pushed by a number of influential Long Island politicians, including Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. The Shinnecock Indian Tribe, which is based on Long Island, has also proposed a casino at the track.
The governor has proposed a constitutional amendment to permit the expansion of full-fledged Las Vegas-style gambling in New York. He has not said where–or how many–casinos would be proposed under his plan.
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