Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s proposed gaming expansion project could generate millions of dollars more per year for the community, according to gaming officials and a feasibility study, but the tribal membership will ultimately determine at the end of the month if they would like to see the expansion take place. The SRMT is planning to hold a referendum on April 30, 2011 asking the voting membership: “Do you support the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Expansion Project at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino?”

Partly because of the enormity of the project - it has a $75 million loan attached - community members requested that Tribal Council hold an official referendum vote on the project before committing to it financially. The SRMT’s project officials have been hosting community information sessions (one is this Saturday), distributing project information, speaking on the radio, and sitting down with Indian Time in an effort to educate the community on details of the project so tribal members can be informed and hopefully get out to vote.

The project consists of two very large changes - relocating the Mohawk Bingo Palace to the site of the casino, and also constructing a 7-story hotel. Other changes include moving the table games pit to the center of the casino and adding a large addition for additional games and a circular stone-encased center bar.

Financial hesitation is one concern regarding the project, but more complaints have come forward regarding the MBP move. However, casino and tribe executives have assured the membership that the project is a positive one with long-lasting changes to tribal finances.

“Moving the Mohawk Bingo Palace makes business sense,” said MBP General Manager John MacClain. “The businesses together become more profitable and then we gain all of the amenities that the casino has…it’s really going to improve the game for our players and our employees.”

Bingo players may lose their favorite or lucky seat at the old building they’ve been playing at since the 1980s, but they would gain improvements like additional bingo sessions throughout the week as a result of more patrons, access to a food court as well as alcoholic beverages, and other amenities such as the hotel.

Casino officials said they are hoping to meet the needs of their bingo players and are trying to make the transition as easy as possible. If the project goes forward, the casino’s food court grill will be renamed to the Palace Café, the MBP’s food counter. The café will even serve the same menu.

“There are a few people who have an emotional attachment to that place,” said Tribal Attorney Michelle Mitchell. “But these same people understand (the need for the relocation.)”

“The win per patron ratio will also increase as a result of the merge,” said AMC General Manager Patrick Bassney.

The feasibility study and research that has been conducted along with the project shows that combining the two gaming operations will increase the revenue that both facilities currently earn. In just four years, the amount of money paid directly into the Tribal General Fund from the gaming facilities is expected to increase from $15 million to $21 million.

Adding the hotel is a necessary part of the equation, according to casino officials.

“Having a hotel means people are staying on the property longer, and it gets them to spend more money,” said Bassney.

“It will be the nicest hotel within 50 miles of here,” said Mitchell.

The hotel will feature rooms for conferences and weddings to be held at the casino. A swimming pool and spa add even more amenities to the property.

The AMC is theoretically in competition with the expansive Turning Stone Casino and Resort near Syracuse, with Watertown and nearby towns being a shared market between the two. Other shared markets are in Quebec and Ontario, where casinos in Ottawa and Montreal are in competition with Akwesasne’s.

Bassney said the market overview shows if they build it, customers in many shared markets could come to the AMC over Turning Stone or Ottawa and Montreal.

“There are gamblers in those areas and we need to get the product here to get them here,” said Bassney.

Community members hesitating over the $75 million loan have been reassured by the project team that the loan is feasible and that the interest rates attached prove the bank also believes the project will be successful.

“Our getting a loan at this time (in the economy) just shows the strength of our balance sheet,” said Mitchell.

An information session will be held on the project this Saturday at the Community Building Lobby at 10:00 am, and again on Wednesday, April 27 at 6:00pm. The referendum vote will be held April 30, 2011 from 9:00am until 5:00pm at the Community Building.