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Salamanca
casino opens with a splash
As reported by The Buffalo News
SALAMANCA
- Western New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians have a new place to
gamble and the Seneca Nation of Indians has a new place to make
money.
The excitement
included music, traditional Native American dancers and a fireworks
display Saturday night as the Senecas unveiled their second
Las Vegas-style casino. The $71 million Seneca
Allegany Casino is the first full-fledged casino in the
Southern Tier.
There was
at least one big-time winner within a couple of hours of the
opening. Victor Morley, 38, of Dayton, won $214,000 after putting
75 cents into a slot machine called Wheel of Fortune.
Morley described
winning as "numbifying" and added that he plans to donate
some of the money to charity.
In a region
where major projects are often proposed but seldom built, the
Senecas' accomplishment of opening two casinos in less than
two years has not gone unnoticed.
"The
Senecas have done a wonderful job," said Joanne D'Angelo,
51, a Jamestown secretary who came to play the slot machines
Saturday night. "The jobs from this casino are going to
give a big boost to the economy."
Seneca leaders
hailed the opening as a major step forward not only for their
nation's quest for financial independence, but for the Cattaraugus
County economy.
"I'd
like all Senecas to pat themselves on the back," said Seneca
President Rickey L. Armstrong. "This whole thing is for
you."
Hundreds
of gamblers waited for hours outside the casino before the doors
opened shortly before 7 p.m. They heard speeches from Armstrong;
Seneca Tribal Council Chairman Barry E. Snyder; Cyrus M. Schindler
Jr., board chairman of the Seneca Gaming Corp.; and Michael
G. "Mickey" Brown, president of the Gaming Corp.
Some patrons
were surprised by the outside appearance of the boxy metal building
that houses the casino. It is considerably smaller than its
sister casino in Niagara Falls. But Seneca officials were quick
to point out that this is only a temporary facility. It will
eventually be replaced by a bigger, more fashionable "mountain
spa resort."
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