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Funke proposes state compensation for gaming and race track

A local lawmaker wants New York State to compensate Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack for the revenue it might lose due to the recent opening of the del Lago Resort and Casino in Seneca County.

Senator Rich Funke says he's stepping up to do what the Governor's office and casino siting board should have done initially to protect thousands of jobs at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack and the nearby del Lago Resort and Casino.

The Perinton Republican has submitted legislation that would appropriate $3 million for Finger Lakes to compensate for the projected amount of video lottery terminal revenue it would lose because of competition from the casino.

A portion of those funds ($375,000) would go to the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development fund.

Funke says it's the state's, not the casino's responsibility to mitigate any potential loss of revenue for the gaming and race track, because the state gaming commission awarded a license to the casino developers.  He says del Lago should not be punished for following the rules set by the state when it established the geographic zones where upstate casinos could be built.

A spokesman for Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack says they won't announce an opening date for the 2017 season until an agreement is reached with the state, local horsemen, and others.

Beth Adams joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.