A Q&A with Robert Williams, Executive Director of the New York State Gaming Commission
City & State:The Gaming Commission has yet to officially award licenses for the three casino projects recommended by the siting board. What’s the timeline for that?
Robert Williams: We remain on track to issue licenses by the end of the calendar year. We have been moving expediently with staff completing suitability reports of each project and their principal management staff, as well as reviewing the appropriateness of all post-selection application or design changes. We have also been diligently working on the license documents themselves, which are akin to comprehensive operating contracts.
C&S: In a second round of bidding for a fourth casino, to be located in the Southern Tier, only one bid has come in, from the existing racetrack casino Tioga Downs. What is the timeline for this selection process?
RW: The Gaming Facility Location Board indicated that they intend to make a decision this fall. Last week, the board met with its consultants to discuss the financial components of the Tioga Downs application. The board has scheduled another meeting for Oct. 14.
C&S: What kind of opportunities does the state’s casino expansion offer for minority- and women-owned businesses?
RW: There are abundant opportunities for MWBEs, from design and construction contracts to opportunities as gaming and non-gaming suppliers. This is a unique opportunity: more than $2 billion in development taking place across upstate New York. One of the key parts of this entire process has been the recognition of the importance of MWBEs in the development of these destination resort casinos. The Gaming Facility Location Board recommended that the commission require the governor’s 30 percent MWBE participation goal. We did, passing rules that explicitly require as much. At the Oct. 1 MWBE conference in Albany, we outlined the process for hundreds of MWBE organizations in the room on how to get involved with the casino developers and the intricacies of working in the regulated gaming industry. We are also planning licensing seminars in the three regions where the casinos are to be located, in the hopes that we can streamline the process for businesses wishing to work on these projects.
C&S: Some state lawmakers are exploring the possibility of online poker in New York. Has the commission studied this at all or have any insights, such as potential revenue it could bring in and/or the impact on brick-and-mortar gambling facilities?
RW: We have followed the issue, but as a regulatory agency, it’s not appropriate for the agency to opine on legislative policy matters.
C&S: Mark Gearan recently stepped down as chairman of the state Gaming Commission. One of his top priorities was addressing problem gambling. What kind of progress was made on that front during Gearan’s tenure?
RW: We’ve made substantial progress and we continue to do more. Mark really was at the forefront of doing something that never before existed in New York: bringing gaming operators into the room with problem gambling treatment providers and literally having a conversation and working together. Mark recognized that the gaming landscape in the state was changing and noted that it is simply good policy. We readily acknowledge that problem gambling is a real issue and one that the state needs to address as a form of effective regulation. Right now, with our partners in the Responsible Play Partnership (the New York Council on Problem Gambling and the New York Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services), we’re working on a series of projects: a statewide self-exclusion policy, a study on the prevalence of underage lottery sales, responsible gambling public-service announcements and additional regional meetings with gaming operators and treatment providers. Additionally, the National Council on Problem Gambling is holding its national annual conference in New York next year and the commission is looking forward to assisting with the event. We are open to do more to drive attention to the issue and to ensure those that need help are aware of and have access to the various programs offered throughout the state.