Участник:Seneca Casino Opens in Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls literally hit the jackpot.

With the official opening of Seneca Niagara Casino, there is hope that new jobs, tourists, and gambling havens will provide much-needed boost to the economy of Seneca Nation of Indians and Niagara Falls.

"It's a beautiful day and a day we've all been waiting for for a long time," said Rick Jemison, presidential chief of staff for the Seneca Nations. "We're finally there." While Jemison and others spoke at the opening ceremony, a crowd of impatient gamblers chanted, "Open the door," and "Cut the ribbon."

After Governor George Pataki was postponed, officials held an opening ceremony and eventually canceled his appearance. By 1:22 p.m., the ribbon was cut off, and shortly thereafter, the first gamblers entered. By 4 p.m., there were about 4,600 people inside the 24-hour casino.

Once inside, the gamblers were not disappointed. "It looks to me like it might be a thriving place," said Cash Peace of MI Bay City, who stopped by a casino while visiting her sister in Buffalo.

Pam Hamilton, a Seneca Indian, ran a sprint in Tonawanda. She and her husband Richie won $250 about an hour apart on two of their 2,265 slot machines.

Hamilton, who used to go to a casino across the river from Niagara Falls, Ontario, said he would now gamble at the Seneca Niagara Casino. "It's good to put in American money and get it back." She said.

The state of New York and the Seneca Nations rely on many gamblers to invest their money. The casino can pour $3 billion into the Seneca Nations' pockets while signing a 14-year contract with the state. Pataki and the state legislature turned to casino gambling in October 2001, after the economy was reeling and looking for new sources of income to offset the economic turmoil caused by the Sept. 11 attacks. The state negotiated an agreement that would mean up to six new casinos on Indian soil, three casinos in western New York and three casinos in the Catskills. The state expects to generate about $300 million a year from all casinos in Seneca.

Early signs indicate business is improving. "I stayed in a hotel across the street and they said it was the first time they were fully booked because they didn't know how many years had passed," said Cyrus, the former president of the Seneca Nation Schindler said.

Bob Bowman picked up his wife, Lynn, from Sea Island City, New Jersey, about 13 miles south of Atlantic City for his first trip to Niagara Falls. "I've seen much more of the good than the bad," Bowman said of Atlantic City. "I don't know how Niagara Falls can be defeated when there's a mecca for gambling at your back door." 바카라사이트 순위