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Seneca Nation announces preliminary gaming compact deal with NY

The Seneca Nation did not provide specifics of the deal with New York State, but said the final details will be hashed out over the next few days

IRVING, N.Y. — The Seneca Nation has announced a preliminary gaming compact agreement with New York State.

Details on the deal are scarce, but the Seneca Nation says the preliminary agreement would be in place for 20 years. 

The current agreement, passed in 2002, expires on December 9. 

"The tentative agreement comes after several months of negotiations which at time were tense," Seneca Nation president Rickey Armstrong said. "Now we believe we have a fair path for specific terms of the framework reached today will be finalized in the coming days."

2 On Your Side has reached out to the Governor's Office for comment and more details on the preliminary deal. 

A spokesperson for the governor said, "We are pleased to have reached an agreement in principle on a fair compact between the Seneca Nation of Indians and New York State that will serve the interests of both parties and benefit Western New York communities."

Details on the new agreement, however, are lacking. Both the Seneca Nation and Governor's office could not provide specifics of the new compact deal. 

Seneca Nation president Rickey Armstrong said a referendum vote will be conducted to finalize the deal. 

"Over the next several weeks, we will educate our people on what this tentative agreement entails, and what it means for our future," Armstrong said. 

Additionally, lawmakers in Albany will need to vote to give Gov. Kathy Hochul authorization to enter a new compact deal with the Seneca Nation. 

If lawmakers don't authorize the new deal by the end of the session, they will be recalled back to Albany to vote on the measure. 

2 On Your Side reached out to multiple lawmakers for details on the new compact, but none of them could provide any details with one lawmaker saying they've been left in the dark completely. 

WGRZ also asked Governor Hochul's office who specifically negotiated the deal on behalf of the state, but the office has not provided that information. 

Governor Hochul recused herself from negotiation because of her husbands employment at Delaware North, a competitor of Seneca gaming operations. 

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