Cayuga Nation opens another LakeSide Entertainment casino

Cayuga Nation’s other Lakeside Entertainment gaming facility is located in Union Springs, which borders one of New York’s Finger Lakes. It was the subject of lawsuit between the Cayuga Nation and Union Spring authorities who demanded that the tribe obtain a license. The federally recognized Cayuga tribe sued the village claiming that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act preempts the application of the village ordinance.

Legitimate leader:

The case was initially dismissed in 2015, but the decision was reversed in the 2nd Circuit in 2016, in an unanimous decision. The Judge Gerard Lynch rejected the view of the village that the tribe’s federal representative lacked standing to sue, and that an injury-in-fact has not been sufficiently alleged by the Cayuga tribe.

The three-judge panel said that Clint Halftown, who filed the lawsuit on the tribe’s behalf, was recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as the tribe’s last legitimate leader.

Class II gaming facilities:

For more than a decade, the Cayuga’s land-into-trust application has been under review by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). LakeSide Entertainment, a Class II gaming facility offering bingo and video gaming facilities, is now operated by the Cayuga Nation on its ancestral territory in Union Springs.

Opening up new opportunities:

The latest LakeSide Entertainment casino opening at Seneca Falls location represents a simultaneous opening of a range of opportunities for the federally recognized tribe. “We are excited to add this new gaming facility in addition to our existing casino in Union Springs and look forward to welcoming residents in the coming days,” Halftown concluded.

According to the Cayuga Nation, the launch of the Seneca Falls gaming facility has already created 15 new jobs.