entrance, Rivers Casino at Mohawk Harbor, Schenectady How important will the visual appeal of the casino complex be (architectural design, lighting and landscaping, physical setting)? How will residents of cities like Watertown, Kingston, Binghamton, or Rochester, choose between the casino options available in Upstate New York? Each of the casinos has ample “gaming” options, and similar guest incentive programs, with apparently sufficient dining and hotel accommodations, and entertainment, along with fairly comparable weather. If you lived more than 40 or 50 miles from Schenectady, would you choose Schenectady’s Rivers Casino at Mohawk Harbor, with its touted $320 million investment by Rush Street Gaming, over the half dozen other casino choices in upstate New York? More than once? (Click on the Upstate NY Casino Map to the left for a larger version Google Map.) See our posting, “ Rush Street must think our Legislators are pretty stupid” rebutting Rush Street’s claims (March 29, 2019). See “ Schenectady casino seeks lower tax rates: Tax credit floated as relief” (Albany Times Union, by David Lombardo, March 29, 2019) “ Rivers Casino takes another crack at a tax cut: Schenectady facility says highest tax rate among New York casinos puts it at a disadvantage” (Schenectady Gazette, March 28, 2019).

Follow-up (March 29, 2019) Rush Street Gaming is now using MGM Springfield as an excuse for seeking tax breaks from the NYS Legislature. To us, it looks like a destination resort (see images at the head of this blurb), not a mediocre regional facility like Rivers Casino.

update (July 31, 2018): See the Times Union “ New competition for Capital Region gambling dollars ” (by David Lombard, July 26, 2018), an article about MGM Springfield, the almost-billion-dollar casino opening August 24th, just 100 miles away in Western Massachusetts, and already being advertised heavily on local tv as a true Las Vegas-style casino. Here, we discuss the lackluster design of Rivers Casino, due to the failure of our snowmen-like leaders to demand better. The Snowmen Effect #1: This posting is the first in our new The Snowmen Effect category, in which we will point out how inadequate protection of the public interest has resulted in a less attractive, less safe, less successful, and/or less responsible Rivers Casino in Schenectady.

Del lago casino map