Saratoga Springs slot parlor won't pursue full casino license

The owners of a harness track and slot-machine parlor in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., will not pursue a full casino license for the property in the face of local opposition, the owners announced Monday.

The decision likely eliminates Saratoga Springs from the locations where a casino might be sited under a recently passed law allowing for four new casinos in upstate New York offering table games and slot machines. The owners of Saratoga Casino and Raceway, a harness track that has operated slot machines for a decade, had hoped to expand their casino under the new law, but the plan met resistance from local businesses and the city council, which earlier this year voted unanimously to oppose the project.

In a statement, the owner of the track and casino said it would instead pursue a license in East Greenbush, a suburb of Albany about a 30-minute drive south from Saratoga Springs.

“We will also continue to operate our successful facility in Saratoga and look forward to maintaining our strong partnerships within this community,” the statement read.

Though voters statewide approved a constitutional referendum last November allowing for up to seven new casinos in New York, voters in Saratoga Springs voted against the measure by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent. The town is famous for its Thoroughbred track, a major tourist attraction that runs from late July until early September.