Nov. 06–NEW YORK — New York voters have approved an amendment to the state’s constitution allowing the state to build seven full-scale, Las Vegas-style casinos, including one in New York City.
The amendment, which passed by a 57-43 margin in Tuesday’s statewide election, is aimed at helping revive the state economy by bringing jobs to the economically distressed upstate regions.
Governor Andrew M Cuomo, a Democrat, said Wednesday passage of the legislation was “a big win for local governments, school districts, and taxpayers across New York State.”
The “vote will further pave the way for the creation of new jobs, construction, and increased tourism in communities across the state,” he said in a statement.
Building the casinos is expected to create up to 6,700 construction jobs and 2,900 permanent jobs, according to the New York Daily News, which quoted state officials.
When fully operational, the new gambling sites are projected to generate 420 million dollars in tax revenue, much of which will be designated for education.
The legislation carries some restrictions. Initially, only four casinos will be permitted, all in upstate New York, where native American tribes already run five casinos on land they control. A New York City casino is further down the road. It is expected to be built in seven years.
The legislation was promoted by a coalition of unions and companies with gambling interests. The group, New York Jobs Now, raised 4 million dollars, which partly financed television ads promoting the economic benefits of the casino expansion.
Opponents of the bill, mainly religious groups, warned that the gambling parlors will drain money from poor and the practice will cause “high social cost of addiction” and “family disintegration.”
