We're not supposed to call it Batavia Downs Casino anymore, but beyond that, officials are still sorting out what a new compact between New York and the Seneca Nation means for Western Regional OTB.
In exchange for resuming long-overdue payments, at a reduced rate, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has granted the Senecas exclusive rights to casino operations in WNY.
Exactly what "exclusivity" means hasn't been entirely spelled out, said Michael Kane, president of the Western Regional OTB.
Dick Siebert said he's worried the governor has given away Rochester to the Senecas after promising that Batavia Downs would be the only gaming facility in the region.
Dropping "casino" from the name isn't too troubling, nor is the requirement to stop calling video terminal games "slots," and even the loss of electronic table games isn't crippling, but there needs to be some compensation to WROTB for the deal cut with the Senecas.
The Senecas had their taxes reduced, Siebert said, so should Batavia Downs.
"They got what they wanted and we’re just looking for a little relief ourselves since they took the table games away from us," he said.
WROTB is lobbying for a 15-percent reduction in the amount of money it sends to New York, Siebert said.
"We need concessions to be able to provide more for our local counties," Siebert said.
Batavia Downs is undergoing a $27-million renovation downstairs and space was being set aside for electronic table games. That space will just now be used for something else, Siebert said.
"We can survive without them (the table games), that's for sure," Siebert said.
Kane agreed.
"We still think our customers will be very happy with the expansion," Kane said.
Related link: The Buffalo News.