Cuomo: Casino Plan Will Boost Southern Tier Economy

Governor Andrew Cuomo says voter approval of expanded casino gambling in New York State is "really great news."

A constitutional amendment to allow the creation of as many as seven full-scale casino operations passed on Tuesday.

Cuomo visited Binghamton Wednesday afternoon to express his satisfaction that the plan was approved.

The governor said casinos could serve as "another magnet" to attract people to the Southern Tier from the New York City area.

Cuomo said the establishment of more casino sites would result in additional revenue for local governments and school districts.

The governor said more than 10,000 jobs could be created in New York in coming years through the casino initiative.

Cuomo spoke to a group of local elected officials and business leaders at the Binghamton State Office Building.

Just over 57 percent of those who voted on the casino proposal supported it.

Cuomo told WNBF News he was surprised by the margin of passage. He said he'd expected it would have been closer because "it's a hard topic to communicate."

The governor said the initiative about more than creating casinos. He said the goal is to develop "large resort destinations that have multiple components" including conference centers and hotels.