New York Tribal Casino Launches Social Gambling

Turning Stone Resort Casino, located within the state of New York, has launched what is basically a free-to-play social casino platform.

The upstate tribal casino will have some of its casino games on play.turningstone.com, which allows users to purchase additional fake money if they go bust with their initial credits.

“Gamers can play Turning Stone Online Casino for free and win virtual chips, and also purchase additional chips and earn TS Rewards points, which can be redeemed for on-site purchases at Turning Stone,” the casino said in a statement.

The Oneida Indian Nation of New York, which operates the casino, is one of three federally recognized American Indian groups with gaming in the Empire State.

There are 10 tribal casinos and nine racinos statewide.

The commercial gambling facilities generate about $2 billion a year in gaming revenue. Just two of the racinos—Resorts World Casino in Queens and Empire City Casino in Yonkers—account for more than 70 percent of total statewide commercial gaming win.

Turning Stone’s social casino launch comes as state lawmakers are considering legalizing real-money online poker in an effort to further grow the gambling market in the face of a casino arms race in the U.S. Northeast. New York estimated that its residents spend about $1 billion a year at out-of-state casinos. Pennsylvania is working on beefing up its gambling industry.

The casino gambling market is growing increasingly crowded in the Empire State. Over the last four months, three Las Vegas-style commercial casinos have opened their doors, with another facility scheduled to open in 2018. All of those properties are upstate.

Last week, the Seneca Nation of Indians, which operates three casinos in western New York, said that it won’t continue paying $110 million a year in revenue sharing to Albany.

The move by the Senecas could possibly increase the appetite for online poker regulation.

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