N.Y. to Let Tribe Open First State Legal Casino

ALBANY, N.Y. —  Gov. Mario M. Cuomo signed an agreement Friday to allow Oneida Indians to open New York’s first legal casino.

The Oneidas plan to open a $10-million casino this summer on Indian-owned land. It will feature craps, roulette and blackjack, but slot machines will not be permitted. The casino site is near the Oneidas’ 32-acre reservation, about 35 miles east of Syracuse.

The agreement as well as the request by the Oneidas must still be approved by the federal Interior Department.

“This day clearly marks a new era of self-sufficiency, a new level of respect, and a new period of prosperity for the people of the Oneida nation,” said Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter.