NEW YORK -- As reported by the Hartford Courant: "As New York state prepares to choose an operator for up to 4,500 video slot machines at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens, Mohegan Sun executives know this much: Their main rival, Foxwoods, is out of the running.
"The development arms of Connecticut's two tribal casinos entered a contest for the Aqueduct "racino" project last fall, eager to establish a foothold in nearby New York. But state officials there ultimately decided to consider only those bidders who offered to make major capital investments, as well.
"Foxwoods had proposed only to manage the slot operation, according to a spokesman for Foxwoods Development Co., which pursues out-of-state projects for the Mashantucket Pequots, owner of the Foxwoods Resort Casino.
"A group consisting of the Mohegan Sun Tribal Gaming Authority and partners was chosen as one of three finalists with its pitch for a $1.4 billion project that included gaming facilities, a high-end hotel and extensive retail space.
"...The New York Racing Association, a state-sanctioned, nonprofit group now emerging from bankruptcy, owns and operates Aqueduct, as well as Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.
"New York's top three officials — Gov. David Paterson, State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno — are negotiating the selection..."
Feather News blog: Leader Of Tribe's Team Seeking N.Y. Slots At Racetrack Quits: Replaced By Etes
The leader for one of three groups competing to build and operate a 4,500 VLT slot parlor at New York's Aqueduct Racetrack has stepped down today from his leading role in the effort.
Karl O'Farrell, the president and founder of Australian-based Capital Play, will be replaced by Mitchell Etess, the Mohegan casino's chief executive officer. Capital Play asked the Mohegan Tribe last July to join them in their bid for a slot parlor at the Queens, N.Y., racetrack. The Tribe's partners in the bid are Capital Play, Extell and Plainfield Asset Management.
Two other groups, Delaware North and the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock-SL Green, are competing against the Mohegan Tribe's group for the 30-year franchise.
New York appears in the final stages of its selection process, one of the last steps being background checks. A Capital Play spokesman told Blood Horse News, "Carl is doing this to expedite the Lottery Division’s ability to reach closure and not hold up the process." Hank Sheinkopf also said that O'Farrell will remain with Capital Play as its community and government relations executive.
The selection of a group must be made by Gov. David Paterson and the state legislature.
