No dice in Bethel

By CHRIS CONROY

BETHEL — It’s officially on the books: there will be no casino gambling in the Town of Bethel.

At the July 25 Town of Bethel board meeting, the board voted in Local Law #1 of 2002, prohibiting casino gaming within the town borders. The public hearing went without a hitch, having only one letter sent to the board in opposition of the adoption of the law.

There was some concern over the impact the law may have on local community groups that conduct Bingo games and casino nights as fundraisers, but the board made it clear that those groups would not be impacted. “Those uses,” explained acting chair Lyndon Lilley, “are all exempt from the law.”

In the past, the board has offered support for casino gaming proposals outside of town, most notably by affirming resolutions sent to the town by Sullivan County and the Town of Thompson. “It is just something we don’t want in our town,” said supervisor Allan Scott at a previous meeting.

In the event that a Native American tribe were to purchase land in the town and desire to erect a casino, the law would most likely have little direct effect on them as tribes are often exempt from local laws and treated as sovereign nations. According to the board, the law instead would indicate to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal regulatory body overseeing the approval for a casino, that the town does not support such an action. Local support, the board said, is a requirement for the approval of casino proposals.