To the Editor

To the Editor,

The Mohawk Bingo Palace

She:kon. I would like to comment upon my concerns that are ongoing with a tribal gaming enterprise, the “Mohawk Bingo Palace.”

What a FLOP!! The Bingo Palace doors are closed through the late evening hours to late morning. Is this an indicator of a failing business? The only change that was supposed to occur when the Class 2 gaming facility moved was the LOCATION.

All I can say is that the tribal referendum (to move the Bingo Palace) was not intended to also deprive the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of valuable gaming revenue and also of a local gathering place for our community as a whole.

Am I the only one who feels that what took place has also destroyed an established tribally-owned business that graciously carried the Tribal Council through its hardships in the past?  Is this the “thank you” that wonderful, longtime employees, those who are still employed and the past employees who were allowed to or forced to leave, get for all the hard-work they did for customer care and appreciation?

Even the currently-designated handicap parking spots to reach the Bingo Palace more easily are pointless with this on-going closure for the MBP as those with limited-mobility might as well walk the same distance from the Speedway Plaza to enter the MBP. This is poor decision-making when you have two outside entrances for the casino and close the only outside entrance for the Bingo Palace.

Another marketing decision was made at the expense of Bingo Palace customers when this took place. By expecting the customers to walk through the casino first, the casino managers hoped to “capture” the Bingo Palace customers before they could even get to the Class 2 area. That is so sad that it has come down to Class 3 versus Class 2 customers. This mentality is destroying the Bingo Palace along the way.

When you drive up to the AMC Resort entrance and look at the Bingo Palace portion (the outside sign above the road with the BP logo) it’s all dark inside with a big black sign with small white lettering on it giving the appearance the place is closed up for good. This provides absolutely no consideration for the elders and the people with disabilities (they are not always using canes, exhibit limps, or display any outward conditions) who used to go to the old Bingo Palace for relaxation.

If this visible indicator was also included within the thought process of this decision to obstruct customer access to the Bingo Palace, it seems to be working to dry up the business. Treating this valuable operation like this that historically carried Tribal Council and its programs is SHAMEFUL to say the least.

There is only one next step to take regarding the Bingo Palace. The Class 2 decision makers don’t understand the local gaming entertainment experience. Even if these customers win some money they usually put it all back into the machines before they leave anyway. Tightening the machine payouts so that customers cannot win only drives the Bingo Palace customers away.

Tribal Council needs to be more involved with these decisions before they are so poorly made. The tribal gaming enterprise managers must also be answerable to the Tribal Council as representatives of the tribal members. These business decision-makers have to answer to someone! Losing money from a proven business is unacceptable.

Peace Be With Everyone,

Agnes Terrance