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NY governor ready to approve casino

MONTICELLO, New York – As reported by the Pocono Record: "New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is close to approving a $600-million Monticello casino, his spokeswoman said.

"'We are optimistic that there will be something in a number of days,' she said of the governor taking a historic step of approving the St. Regis Mohawk casino at Monticello Gaming and Raceway.

"In December, authorities gave environmental approval. Spitzer must concur by letter with those findings for the Mohawks and their partner, Empire Resorts, to go forward.

"If Spitzer signs, it would be a hurdle that no other Catskill casino has cleared, paving the way for final approval by the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne.

"Only three times before have governors allowed state land to be taken into trust for an off-reservation casino — none of them were in New York.

"…The governor and the Mohawks still have to work out a compact that specifies, among other things, a revenue sharing deal…"

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