Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel
Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is a casino in Niagara Falls, New York. It was built by the city to compete with Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Formerly known as the Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center, it was taken over by the federally recognized Seneca Nation of New York.
| Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
 View of front entrance | |
| Location | Niagara Falls, NY, USA |
| Address | 310 Fourth Street Niagara Falls, New York 14303 |
| Opening date | Casino: December 31, 2002 Hotel: January 2, 2006 |
| Theme | Bears/Woods/Water (Niagara areas natural state) |
| No. of rooms | 594 |
| Total gaming space | 147,000 sq ft (13,700 m2) |
| Signature attractions | Spa, Casino, Hotel, and Restaurants |
| Notable restaurants | Java Café Morrie's Express Thunder Falls Buffet Three Sisters Café Koi La Cascata The Western Door: A Seneca Steakhouse Blues |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | The Seneca Nation Of Indians |
| Renovated in | Thunder Falls Buffet (2007, 2012) |
| Website | www |
The casino floor has an area of 147,000 sq ft (13,700 m2) with 99 gaming tables and 4,200 slot machines. It is the largest hotel in New York state outside of Manhattan.
History
The Seneca Niagara Casino opened in 2002, the result of an $80 million transformation of the Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center into a full-service casino. It features 82,000 square feet of gaming space with 2,595 slot machines and 91 table games.[1]
Restaurants
- Western Door (Steakhouse)
- Koi (Asian Cuisine)
- La Cascata (Italian Cuisine)
- Thunder Falls Buffet
- Blues Burger Bar
- Three Sisters Café
- Morrie's Express
- Tim Horton's and Cold Stone Creamery
Shopping
- Sky Boutique
- Swarovski
- Seasons
- The NewsStand
- Player's Club Store
- Yankee Candle
- Watson's Chocolates
- TEN
Entertainment
The Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is home to the Seneca Niagara Events Center, a 2,400-seat theater that has hosted various performing artists, including Stevie Nicks, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Lewis Black, Lisa Lampanelli, Steely Dan, Heart, Steve Miller Band, Huey Lewis and the News, Gretchen Wilson, Air Supply, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Blondie, Jeff Foxworthy, Jay Leno, The Moody Blues, Grand Funk Railroad, Cheap Trick, Jim Gaffigan, New Kids on the Block, Seth Meyers, The Pointer Sisters, Chicago, The Go-Go's, Bobby Vinton, Tracy Morgan, Jackson Browne, Frank Caliendo, Michael Bolton, Alanis Morissette and more.
In addition, the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel has the Bear's Den Showroom, a 440-seat theatre that presented more intimate shows, such as The Goo Goo Dolls, Eddie Money, The Grass Roots, Lou Gramm, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Little River Band, Mary Wilson, Richard Marx, and more.
Expansion
In February 2008, the Seneca Gaming Corp. announced the expansion of the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel Property. It will add more hotel rooms, and other amenities. It acquired Fallsville Splash Park, located next to the Seneca Niagara Casino, which was condemned by the State of New York and transferred to the Seneca Gaming Corporation. It was demolished for Phase 2 of expansion of the Niagara Falls casino.
Legal Issues
Adjacent properties owned by Seneca Gaming Corp.
Adjacent properties owned by the Seneca Gaming Corporation are not located on Seneca territory owned by the Nation, therefore it is technically illegal to put slot machines or provide for gambling. The Splash Park Property where Phase 2 of expansion is to take place is also located on non-sovereign land.
The former Convention Center is located on sovereign land, and the casino is operated by Gaming Corporation.
Taxing of non-sovereign adjacent properties owned by the Gaming Corporation
Use of the surrounding area adjacent to the Seneca Niagara Casino by the Seneca Nation for gaming has been the subject of a class-action lawsuit filed by attorney John Bartolomei in October 2010 on behalf of Fallsite LLC and residents who are angry over a 4% tax hike to be passed in 2011. The Seneca Niagara Casino is located on sovereign land owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians.
But, the land adjacent to the casino, including parking garages adjacent to Niagara St., the site of a former Pizza Hut on the corner of Niagara St. and John B. Daly Blvd., the Holiday Inn property on the corner of 3rd Street and Duggar Drive, the former Niagara Aerospace Museum in between 3rd and 4th Streets and Niagara Street and Wendel Way, the former E. Dent Lackey Plaza (now a parking lot) in between Wendel Way, Duggar Drive, 3rd Street and 4th Street, former private homes on 5th and 6th Streets, and the Splash Park Property on the corner of Falls Street and John B. Daly Blvd, are owned by the Seneca Gaming Corporation. The Seneca Gaming Corporation is non-sovereign and therefore taxable, but was left off the city tax rolls. If taxed, the corporation would be the largest payer of taxes in the City of Niagara Falls.
Other properties
The Seneca Nation operates other gaming casinos on its property in New York state:
- Seneca Allegany Casino - This facility in Salamanca, New York, on the Allegany Indian Reservation, features a casino, spa, six restaurants and a new hotel completed in 2007.
- Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino - Seneca Nation's newest casino is located in downtown Buffalo, New York.
References
- "Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel". www.niagarafallslive.com. Retrieved 29 October 2014.