del Lago Casino Seeks Reduction in Takeout Rate

Representatives from the del Lago Casino in Seneca County were in Albany yesterday, seeking a lower tax rate for their struggling business. The casino cost $440 million to build, but revenues have not matched projections. The casino has been open since February 2017. Revenue for their first year came in at $144 million, 44% lower than the projections. Del Lago pays New York State 37% of slot machine revenue and 10% of gaming table receipts. They claim that competing casinos run by the Seneca and Oneida Indian Tribes, pay 27% in slot revenue and 10% of gaming revenue. Del Lago also claims that the Seneca casinos are withholding revenue from the state and using that revenue to subsidize their marketing efforts. Southern Tier casino, Tioga Downs, and Resorts World in the Catskills are not seeking any changes from Albany.