4/8/2016

–Hotel and Resort Foundation About Half Completed–

TYRE, N.Y. April 8, 2016 — Del Lago Resort & Casino Co-Chairmen Thomas C. Wilmot Sr. and Brent Stevens announced that a “topping-out” ceremony was held today as the final steel beam for the del Lago casino structure was put in place. The final steel beam will be a part of the 40,000 square-foot entertainment venue that will hold 2,500 people.

“This is another milestone in our effort to build Upstate New York’s best resort and casino,” Wilmot said. “We are very proud of the quality of work by these fine upstate union tradespeople, and the speed at which they continue to operate, keeping us on pace to open del Lago Resort & Casino in February 2017.”

“Nearly 200 New Yorkers are working at del Lago, representing more than 10 different union trades as part of the more than 20 local contractors and subcontractors currently onsite,” Wilmot said.

Within the past few weeks, del Lago announced the hiring of Jeff Babinski as executive vice president and general manager and Juris Basens as senior vice president and assistant general manager. Babinski and Basens oversaw today’s topping-out ceremony, which also included government, business and labor representatives from Tyre, Seneca County and the Finger Lakes region.

“Del Lago is really starting to take shape,” Babinski said. “Within a week, the casino will have a weather-tight roof, allowing more intensive indoor work to begin there, even as other workers continue to pour concrete for the foundations of the hotel and spa, which are now about half completed. As the weather warms up, we’re going to see more and more construction and tradespeople at del Lago.”

Michael Davis, president of the Finger Lakes Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO, which represents 19 local unions with more than 6,000 members, said: “I could not be more pleased that hundreds of union tradespeople are working hard and collecting a paycheck. And I know that over the coming weeks and months, hundreds more will be working to build del Lago, which will soon be the gateway to the Finger Lakes region.”

3/30/2016

Basens Has Been with Wilmorite Company Since 2003

TYRE, N.Y. March 30, 2016 — Starting out as a card dealer in 1978, Juris Basens could not have known that his gaming career would go this far. Nevertheless, his hard work and perseverance have paid off as the long-time industry veteran was recently named senior vice president assistant general manager for del Lago Resort & Casino.

“Few people have the depth and breadth of experience that Juris has – his perspective will be an incredible asset in bringing the vision of del Lago to life,” said Jeff Babinski, senior vice president and general manager at del Lago Resort & Casino. “With nearly four decades in the gaming industry, he has the knowledge and insight of all aspects of the business and knows what it takes to run a successful resort and casino.”

Basens began his casino and hospitality career in 1978 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with Resorts International, the first legalized casino outside Las Vegas. There, he held positions as a dealer, casino supervisor, pit boss, shift manager and casino liaison to information technology, garnering precious experience all the while. From there, he managed casino properties in Nassau, Bahamas, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi and Louisiana. His experience includes hands-on design, pre-opening, recruiting, and day-to-day management and oversight. Basens’ extensive casino background includes opening 14 casinos, designing and developing seven, and managing 15 — serving as chief operating officer for eight of the casinos he managed.

Basens joined Wilmorite as vice president of gaming operations in 2003, responsible for overseeing and directing all casino operations, including staffing, budgeting, capital planning, operating policies, marketing, and local, state and federal regulatory compliance.

Some noteworthy projects throughout his career include Buena Vue Resort Hotel & Casino (Ione, California), First Council Casino (Newkirk, Oklahoma), Resorts International Hotel and Casino (Atlantic City, New Jersey), Carnival’s Crystal Palace (Nassau, Bahamas), Isle of Capri Casinos (Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi), Casino Magic Corporation (Mississippi and Louisiana), Hollywood Casinos (Shreveport, Louisiana) and Pinnacle Entertainment (Las Vegas).

Basens resides in Victor, NY.

About del Lago Resort & Casino
The $440 million 205-room hotel, spa and casino will include a banquet facility, several restaurants, lounges, 2,500 person entertainment center and other world-class amenities. Del Lago Resort & Casino will feature Savor New York, a unique retail outlet where local vendors will bring the Finger Lakes region directly to del Lago patrons with a wide variety of local fruits, cheeses, baked goods, wines and beers, and other area specialties. The casino will feature 2,000 slot machines and 85 gaming tables, including 10 poker tables. Del Lago will create 1,800 construction jobs and 1,800 permanent jobs, and will generate more than $90 million annually for New York state and local governments. The resort and casino was awarded a New York State casino license in December 2015 and will open to the public in February 2017. For more information, visit www.delLagoResort.com.

3/17/16

That Means $10 Million for Local Governments in Finger Lakes / Southern Tier Region

TYRE, N.Y. – The upcoming del Lago Resort & Casino has hired Jeff Babinski as vice president and general manager.
Babinski comes to del Lago from Lumiere Place Casino & Hotels in St. Louis, Missouri, where he held the same title since 2010. In that role, he managed all gaming and non-gaming departments at Lumiere, a property of Tropicana Entertainment Inc., located in downtown St. Louis.
Prior to that, Babinski was the general manager and director of marketing at Boomtown Casino & Hotel in Reno, Nevada. “Jeff offers that unique combination of strong leadership and a collaborative nature that we know will serve him and the community well in this role,” Jonathan Swain, COO at del Lago Resort & Casino, said in the news release issued Monday. “Not only does he more than meet the professional requirements of the position, he also has the personal character we look for in individuals we want to employ throughout the company.”
Babinski has spent time in upstate New York, having attended Cornell University’s professional development program during the summers of 2007 and 2008, the company said. The Cornell program partly focused on marketing for hotels and restaurants.
Before announcing Babinski’s hiring, the company on March 3 announced the name change from Lago to del Lago, which means “of the lake,” as it will serve as a “gateway” to the Finger Lakes region.
In the March 3 statement, Swain also commented on the name change.
“The newly evolved name reinforces that the resort and casino embodies the essence of the Finger Lakes Region and is a community steward for the entire area encompassing Seneca County and the great Finger Lakes,” he said.
Rochester–based Wilmorite, Inc., the company that owns the casino, originally referred to it as Wilmot Casino and Resort in its proposal for a gaming license. The company in June 2014 then changed the name to Lago Resort & Casino.

3/9/16

That Means $10 Million for Local Governments in Finger Lakes / Southern Tier Region

TYRE, N.Y. March 9, 2016 — Thomas C. Wilmot, Sr. and Brent Stevens, del Lago Resort & Casino Co-Chairmen, today announced that del Lago had sent the New York State Gaming Commission its $50 million license fee payment.

“We are delighted to announce that del Lago Resort & Casino has fulfilled its initial obligation to New York State and made the $50 million payment for the cost of our casino license,” Stevens said. “Of course we are proud to make this payment to the state, however, we are even happier that $10 million of that money will be flowing back to the Town of Tyre, Seneca County and other local governments in the region. This is just the first return on investment that the people of New York and this region will be getting from del Lago, with many more to follow.”

Under New York law, 10 percent of the license fee will be shared by the state with the host town and county and an additional 10 percent will be shared by the state with other counties in the gaming region.

“While we are excited about making this license fee payment, we are even more excited about the progress we are making building what will soon be the best resort and casino in all of upstate New York,” Wilmot said. “Thanks to the mild winter weather and a great local workforce, construction of del Lago is proceeding ahead of schedule. We are regularly increasing the number of employees working on building del Lago and passersby can see the structure really taking shape.”

Del Lago is scheduled to open in February 2017.

3/3/16

The world-class resort and casino planned for Tyre, Seneca County will now be officially named “del Lago” meaning “of the lake.” Moving forward, you will see and hear the project referred to in this way.

Our hope is that del Lago Resort & Casino will serve as the gateway to the magnificent Finger Lakes Region of New York State, which boasts beautiful landscapes and cultural assets. Our restaurants and shops will be a showcase for those assets, featuring local foods, wines and art.

We want our guests to get out and explore all Seneca County and the Finger Lakes region has to offer and believe this name evolution from Lago to del Lago is more encompassing of the region as a whole.

We are proud to be a part of this area and we’re honored to play a positive role in the economic health and overall quality of life in this region.

Additionally, we invite you to visit our newly launched website www.delLagoResort.com where you can learn more about the excitement that’s building.

We look forward to sharing updates as they become available, and we can’t wait to see you through the doors of del Lago in early 2017.

Lago on Track to Open in First Half of 2017

TYRE, N.Y. Lago Resort & Casino Co-Chairmen Thomas C. Wilmot Sr. and Brent Stevens were joined by more than 350 Tyre and Seneca County officials, Finger Lakes region labor and business leaders, and local residents at a ceremonial beam signing today on the future site of Lago Resort & Casino in Tyre, New York. The event marked an increased pace of construction, after Lago was awarded a casino license last month by the New York State Gaming Commission, with the resort and casino on track to open in the first half of 2017.

“If it wasn’t for all of you, none of us would be here today. There would be no Lago Resort & Casino,” Wilmot told the group of more than 350 local supporters. “I have said all along that we intend to build the best resort and casino in Upstate New York and that we will be the best neighbor the people of Tyre and Seneca County have ever had. We will do that by attracting hundreds of thousands of new tourists to Seneca County and the region. These are tourists who will taste local wines, visit local attractions, buy local goods, help local businesses succeed and expand, and help grow and strengthen the economy of the entire region.”

“Lago Resort & Casino will be a world-class destination resort, serving as a gateway to the magnificent Finger Lakes region of New York State,” Stevens added. “We eagerly anticipate the grand opening of our game-changing resort and casino and look forward to bringing new visitors to the Finger Lakes region, helping local businesses, farms, wineries and breweries flourish.”

Plans for the $425 million Lago Resort & Casino off the New York State Thruway (Exit 41) include a casino and a 207-room hotel, spa, multiple restaurants and lounges featuring local fare. Lago Resort & Casino will also feature Savor New York, a unique shop highlighting the best the Finger Lakes region has to offer. The special section will promote products from the region, including local wines, beers, whiskeys, food and crafts.

The casino will feature 2,000 slot machines and 85 gaming tables. Lago Resort & Casino developers expect the project to create 1,800 construction jobs and 1,800 permanent jobs once open. To date, Lago has received 3,000 employment inquiries from individuals, with more than two-thirds coming from Seneca County residents.

Lago Resort & Casino is a partnership between Wilmorite Inc., an Upstate New York family development company that has been in business since the 1940s, and Peninsula Pacific. For more than 70 years, Wilmorite has established a history of meeting consumer demands, from affordable housing to regional malls to student housing. Peninsula Pacific comprises the former leadership team from Peninsula Gaming, which has a combined 50 years in developing and managing regional casinos in five states. JNB Gaming will manage the casino. JNB and its principals are widely recognized throughout the country as premier casino developers and operators.

3/2/16

TYRE, N.Y. March 2, 2016 — Lago Resort & Casino Co-Chairmen Thomas C. Wilmot, Sr. and Brent Stevens praised today’s unanimous decision from a five-judge panel of the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department as another victory for the people of Tyre and Seneca County.

“We appreciate the Fourth Department’s decision to deny a preliminary injunction. The Court’s decision is great news for the people of Tyre, Seneca County and the region. It’s certainly great news for the 1,800 people who will benefit from jobs during construction and the 1,800 who will benefit from permanent jobs once Lago opens next year,” Wilmot said. “As we can continue to build the best resort and casino in Upstate New York, which will serve as a gateway to the magnificent Finger Lakes region, we are excited about the future and look forward to Lago increasing tourism and helping grow the region’s economy.”

“We are grateful for today’s decision and we look forward to this Court ruling on the merits of the case,” Stevens said. “In the meantime, we again thank the elected officials of Tyre and Seneca County – who have unanimously supported Lago – as well as the people and businesses of Seneca County, who have welcomed us so warmly. We are excited to be employing hundreds of local residents currently in a variety of crafts and trades, and look forward to soon expanding the number of local jobs as construction intensifies.”

Mike Davis, President of the Finger Lakes Building Trades Council, representing 19 local unions with more than 6,000 members, said: “This is tremendous news for the hardworking men and women of the Finger Lakes Building Trades and their families. Coming off of one of the worst years for construction in our area in recent memory any lost time at Lago would financially ruin families waiting to work there. Their quality of life counts too.”

Published: 2/1/16 2:03 pm EST

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TYRE, New York — A state judge has ruled against a group of local residents challenging the environmental approval for a casino under construction in the Finger Lakes. The judge rejected arguments that officials in the town of Tyre failed to adequately consider how the Lago Resort and Casino would affect the surrounding community. Lago was one of three upstate New York casinos to receive a license from the state in December.

Lago developers said Monday that they were pleased with the decision and that the pace of Lago’s construction is getting faster. There was no immediate response from the opponents.

Earlier this year in a separate lawsuit, the Oneida Indians asked a state court to throw out Lago’s license, claiming the selection process was riddled with legal errors.