State leaders came together to push for more transparency when it comes to choosing a vendor for the Video Lottery Terminals at Aqueduct Racetrack. Our Dayana Perez spoke with leaders who say the state needs to move quickly.
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ALBANY, N.Y. – On Tuesday, state lawmakers announced a proposal to expedite the process of getting video slot machines up and running at the Aqueduct.
Senator Roy McDonald, along with senators Betty Little of Plattsbugh and Marty Golden of Brooklyn, are calling for passage of legislation implementing a new process to choose a VLT vendor. Their plan would make the selection process more public and will open up submission of proposals to different companies who are interested in operating the VLTs.
The minimum upfront payment from a vendor to the state would be $300 million. The bill would also establish a timeline for the selection of a new vendor, making a deal possible within 65 days. Since 2001, the state has been trying, unsuccessfully, to find a vendor to operate VLTs.
Most recently, Governor Paterson threw his support behind the Aqueduct Entertainment Group to build and operate the video lottery terminals. But that deal fell through after the division of lottery said they could not issue AEG a gaming license. Some also criticized the selection process saying it was made behind closed doors.
"We've had nothing but problems. Not only is it relevant for the racing industry that this process is done right. It's relevant to the responsibility of New York state to do it right. It's embarrassing the incompetence that went into this that we have to do it all over again," said McDonald.
Lawmakers also say the more time passes in making this deal the more money the state will continue to lose. They say the delay is costing the state one million dollars per day in profits.