Albany
Months before the first blackjack or poker hand is dealt, casino money is pouring into 22 counties and three municipalities across upstate as they collect their $30.2 million share of licensing fees paid by the still-under-construction facilities.
The Capital Region is among three spots where local governments this month will be newly flush with their share of the payments. Schenectady city and county each will get $2.5 million, with Albany County receiving $1.7 million. Rensselaer and Saratoga counties will get $900,00 and $1.2 million each, respectively.
The payouts represent 20 percent of $151 million in fees paid by the three casino developers As set forth in the law that allowed the casinos to be licensed, 10 percent goes to the host municipalities and counties, with another 10 percent going to surrounding counties. Eighty percent goes for school aid.
"It's certainly welcome," Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, said of the money.
Three new non-Indian casinos licensed and under construction are: Montreign near Monticello in the Catskills, Del Lago in Tyre, between Syracuse and Rochester, and Rivers in Schenectady.
A fourth, Tioga Downs, is expected to seek a license to operate in Nichols, Tioga County near the Pennsylvania border.
The developers at Rivers expect to open their doors in early 2017 as do officials at Del Lago.
Montreign is scheduled to open in 2018.
The license money in the Capital Region counties will mostly go to prevent what might otherwise be tax hikes or deficits.
Albany County Legislature Democratic Majority Leader Frank Commisso and Gary Domalewicz, chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee, said in a prepared statement they hoped the money would help stabilize property tax rates.
County Executive Dan McCoy, though, said that they may set some aside for services for problem gamblers or other unforeseen impacts that could result from the new casino.
"This is something we have to be cautious about," he warned.
Likewise, in Rensselaer County the money will go toward a combination of tax relief and needed road and bridge work as well as helping problem gamblers.
County Executive Kathy Jimino noted that spending on local programs has been reduced in order to contain property tax rates.
Saratoga County Administrator Spencer Hellwig said officials struggled to balance their budgets in light of the state's property tax cap, which is linked to the inflation rate.
Saratoga's portion of the licensing fee will help balance the books and offset the need to dip into previous balances, or reserves, he said.
Once the casinos are up and running, they will also generate taxes, with the rates varying by region.
At Rivers, the rate is set at 45 percent of revenue on the slots and 10 percent on the table games. Casinos will also pay $500 annually per machine into a fund to help problem gamblers overcome their addictions. Additionally, winnings by player are subject to taxes.
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