2 While the proposed amendment to Section 9 of Article 1 of the New York State Constitution permitted the state Legislature to authorize up to seven (7) total casinos in the state, under the Gaming Act, the Commission was only authorized to license up to four (4) casinos in the three (3) defined upstate regions – at least for now. Cuomo, the Gaming Act authorized up to four (4) gaming resorts in three (3) defined regions of upstate New York: Hudson Valley/Catskill area, Capital Region, and Eastern Southern Tier. Signed into law on July 30, 2013, by Governor Andrew M. With a fourth license anticipated for a casino in the Southern Tier, and the potential for three (3) additional casinos that could find their way into Westchester County and New York City (amongst other regions in New York) after a seven-year exclusivity period, 1 the Gaming Act is an example of legislation that streamlines development in New York State – emphasizing the importance of speed to market. Cuomo proposed an amendment to the state constitution to permit casino gaming, these licenses are the “golden tickets” for three (3) casino operators that hit the jackpot in a crowded pool of applicants that competed for a license in the first wave of new casino developments in New York State. Now only four (4) years after Governor Andrew M. With the stated purposes of job growth and increased funding to local schools and municipalities for tax relief, the Gaming Act and its streamlined competitive application and land use development processes represent an effort by New York State to remove the red tape and other barriers that often inhibit doing business in New York. What Happens in Upstate New York, Stays in Upstate New York – While it might not have the same ring to it as “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” on December 21, 2015, the New York State Gaming Commission (the “Gaming Commission”) awarded licenses to three (3) Las Vegas-style destination resort casinos pursuant to The Upstate New York Gaming Act of 2013 (the “Gaming Act”).

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