More than two years after it expired, the Seneca Nation's tribal-state gaming compact with New York remains unresolved. The original 2002 compact — which governs the Nation's three casinos, Seneca Niagara, Seneca Allegany and Seneca Buffalo Creek — lapsed at the end of 2023, and no new long-term agreement has been finalized.
In the absence of a deal, the Nation has been depositing roughly 25% of its net slot revenue — on the order of $100 million a year — into escrow rather than paying it to the state and host municipalities. By early 2026 that escrow had grown well past $200 million.
Talks Have Repeatedly Stalled
Negotiations have been on and off since the compact expired. Governor Hochul granted short-term arrangements and, in mid-2025, publicly moved to "reset" the talks, but the two sides have not bridged the gap on revenue sharing and exclusivity. Seneca Nation leadership has criticized the slow pace of the process.
The dispute matters beyond Western New York: the Seneca casinos are among the largest gaming venues in the state, and the unresolved revenue share affects funding for the host cities of Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca.