As is common these days, another state is pushing hard for increasing the chances of bringing in gambling revenues. New York is the latest state to show its financial woes by exploring other options.  For some time now the recession has brought huge budgetary deficits for almost every US state.  The unemployment rate, foreclosures and dropping house values have all worked together to bring the US as a whole to a huge monetary problem. Almost every state has a huge expense list and a much smaller income counter.  The deficits states are under, are huge.   This is not to mention the federal government that is also looking for alternative ways of bringing in funding.

New York’s Governor David Paterson is revisiting the topic of allowing Indian-owned casinos to set up in the Catskills.  The issue was brought up before, but fell to the wayside with many other important issues to debate.  Now that the deficit has to be addressed, it is once again a hot topic of debate.  Paterson stated, “There will be a renewed effort to rally stakeholders and make the case publicly that this is in the best interest of the state’s economy and specifically for economic development efforts in the region.” 

Setting up Indian-run casinos in the Catskills have been a long standing option for the state.  Many see it as a sure-fire way to revive tourism. While the Catskills were once a highly visited area for tourists, the years have reduced patrons, and revenues, substantially.  Bringing in a casino would hopefully revive the tourist area.  The Catskills are about 90 miles, or just an hour and a half, north of New York City, making them an easily accessible area for tourists.  Projections are estimating that a casino would bring in $150 million a year in new revenues and it also would create jobs.  The government is working hard to spin the casino idea to the people, citing that with added revenues a casino could bring, taxes would remain lower.  Gambling taxes would fund public programs and education. 

Of course there are some hurdles still to overcome.  Since the beginning of 2008 the debate has been in full-throttle.  Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne decried the proposal by tribes to take off-reservation land into trust.  Paterson states, however that there is a legal and safe way to maneuver the law. He also maintains that, in light of the economy, the income potential is hard to pass up.