Vernon Downs Saved By State Incentives

A harness track operated by the owner of Tioga Downs is getting a tax deal in order to remain open.

The New York State Assembly has approved the deal for Vernon Downs, owned by Jeff Gural, in a special session..

The measure gives Vernon Downs at least two million dollars a year for two years from the revenue of the video lottery terminals that usually goes to the state.

The Senate had already passed a similar measure.

The Vernon Downs racino near Syracuse employs about 300.

Gural said if he couldn’t work out a deal with the state, he planned to close in the fall.  Gural says he was looking at a loss of $150,000 a month.