Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman attended a campaign fundraiser hosted by Seneca Nation President J.C. Seneca at the Nation’s Niagara Falls casino on Oct. 5, placing the unresolved negotiations over a new gaming compact squarely in the closing stretch of New York’s governor’s race.
The event came days after Seneca announced what he called an agreement in principle with New York that contained no revenue-sharing provision. Gov. Kathy Hochul disputed that characterization, saying no agreement had been reached and negotiations remained ongoing. As we reported on Oct. 5, the difference threatens a funding stream on which Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca have relied.
Blakeman had criticized Hochul’s handling of the Nation earlier that day, saying New York had not been a willing negotiating partner. But he did not state whether he would support a replacement compact without revenue sharing, leaving his position on the proposed terms unresolved.
About a dozen Seneca Nation members protested outside after casino security barred them from the property, according to City & State New York. The demonstration was organized by Mothers of the Seneca Nation, a group established in 2022 amid an earlier dispute over gaming payments.
Leslie Logan, one of the protesters, objected both to Blakeman’s backing for prediction markets and to Seneca’s decision to host his fundraiser. She said such markets threatened tribal gaming revenue and that the Nation should not be used for partisan campaigning. Other protesters also cited Blakeman’s positions on fracking, data-center policy, and Native mascots and imagery in public schools.
The dispute unfolded during Seneca’s final weeks as president. He was elected in 2024 to a two-year term and, under Nation rules, cannot seek consecutive terms. Tina Abrams was set to become the Nation’s first woman president after the Nov. 3 general election, having defeated Odie Porter in the Seneca Party caucus.
The 2002 compact required the Nation to share slot-machine revenue with New York in return for certain gaming-device exclusivity in Western New York. The money was distributed in part to the three host cities. Niagara Falls could lose roughly $10 million to $13 million a year if revenue sharing ends, an amount equal to almost 10% of its approximately $100 million budget.
The original compact expired in December 2023, but a federally approved extension provided automatic three-month renewals while the parties negotiated and required continuing revenue-sharing payments to be held in escrow. Seneca has said the framework he described would still need council approval and could be finalized for submission to the New York Legislature in spring 2027.
Hochul said the state would continue financial support for Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca so they were not adversely affected. Former Seneca Nation President Mike Schindler, who joined the protest, called for the state and Nation to return to the table and complete an agreement.
