That’s after the US Department of the Interior told Seneca leaders that it did not perform an economic assessment on the seven-year option. However, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled on the state’s behalf last February.Īfter choosing not to continue the appeal, the tribe went back to the federal district court and tried to get the ruling vacated. In November of that year, a judge ruled against the tribe. Tribal leaders claimed the nation could stop making payments, and New York officials disagreed, sending the matter to a three-person arbitration panel.Īfter a split decision went the state’s way, the Seneca Nation filed a federal lawsuit in June 2019 and claimed the arbitrators failed to follow the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in making its ruling. However, the option did not include that language. The initial deal included language calling for the tribe to make payments to the state, with those payments gradually increasing to a 25 percent revenue share by year 14. The deal included a 14-year base agreement and a seven-year option that would be automatically enacted if neither party objected. The two sides agreed to a 21-year gaming compact in 2002. “Rather than pursue continued legal action, we believe it’s in the best interest of the Seneca Nation to address those important concerns through a negotiation of a compact that will provide clarity on our obligations, and equally as important, the obligations New York State has to the Seneca Nation in return.”Ī message to Hochul’s office late Wednesday was not immediately returned. The good faith negotiations for a new compact are to start within 60 days, Pagels said in a five-minute address with other Seneca Nation leaders standing behind him.įor four years, we vigorously raised many compact concerns in multiple legal challenges,” he said.
He said that the deal calls for the tribal nation, which operates three Class III tribal casinos in western New York, to give the state the back payments it was initially awarded through arbitration.Īccording to the Buffalo News, the tribe has held about $450 million in an escrow account to cover the payments while the dispute worked its way through the federal courts. Seneca Nation President Matthew Pagels announced the settlement in a message Wednesday night to tribal members on Facebook and Twitter. (Image: Seneca Media & Communications Center) The agreement also stipulates that both sides will begin talks on a new compact to replace the one that’s set to expire in December 2023. Seneca Nation President Matthew Pagels, with other tribal leaders behind him, announces Wednesday night that the tribe has reached an agreement with New York to end its four-year legal battle over payments the state said it deserved as part of the gaming compact between the entities. New York and the Seneca Nation of Indians have resolved their longstanding legal battle over their gaming compact, and agreed to begin negotiations on a new accord. Horse Racing, Legislation, Sports Betting.
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