SALAMANCA — To those throughout the Twin Tiers and stretching often to Canada, Ohio and beyond, the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino has been a tourist destination for 20 years.
A bit closer to home, the venue has been an employer for hundreds of people and a source of income for the city and county through casino revenue payments via New York state.
Reflecting on both these positive aspects of the casino, as well as some of the challenges it faces during the next decade and longer, Seneca Allegany has been a resounding success by every measure, said Kevin Nephew, President and CEO of Seneca Gaming Corporation.
“We couldn’t be prouder of what the last 20 years have meant for our guests, our team, the Seneca Nation and the surrounding community,” he said.
General Manager Linda Hitchcock, who started as a manager in the resort’s Thunder Mountain Buffet, said it’s amazing to think that it’s been 20 years already.
“It was so exciting to be part of Seneca Allegany’s opening and early days of operation,” said Hitchcock, who has been General Manager since 2016. “That excitement has stopped building in the two decades since.”
The property’s success over the past two decades comes down to the unmatched quality guests find at Seneca Allegany, Nephew said, from the games and themes on the gaming floor and the comfort of hotel rooms to the restaurants and the fantastic amenities.
“There is a reason people travel far distances from other states to visit Seneca Allegany,” he said. “I think our people are the key to the world-class experience we offer. The quality of our service matches the quality of our world-class property. That makes the guest experience.”
Hitchcock agreed, saying their team members are “the Seneca difference” that helps the resort stand out in guests’ minds and keeps them coming back. In fact, 20 years later, there are still 78 team members who have been there since day one.
“That type of longevity is really impressive, especially in the gaming and hospitality industry,” she said. “Our team members care, and it shows. When you’re here, we want you to always feel like you’re surrounded by friends.”
A bird’s eye view of the Seneca Allegany property taken in 2015.
THE OPENING of Seneca Allegany Casino in 2004 was a monumental and meaningful accomplishment for the Seneca Nation, said Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong, Sr., who was serving his first term as President in 2004. Even though they had opened the Seneca Niagara property in Niagara Falls in 2002, he said building and opening Seneca Allegany was a completely different experience.
“Both casinos, and eventually Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, were important for the future of the Seneca Nation, but this was something that was right here, on our Allegany Territory,” he said. “It created a different connection for our people.”
All three casinos are important enterprises for the Nation and the Seneca people, Armstrong said, calling Seneca Allegany a great partner with the Nation over the past 20 years in several areas.
“For one thing, the casinos provide important employment opportunities and career paths in gaming and hospitality for our people,” he said. “Seeing Seneca professionals grow and develop into leading managerial roles at our facilities sets an encouraging example. Our people can see that there are rewarding opportunities available to them and that, with hard work and dedication, they can play an important role in an enterprise that is very important to the future of our Nation.”
Having the casino on the Allegany Territory also allows the Nation to host important events for the people in a wonderful venue, Armstrong said, including events for Elders and the recent Ohi:yo’ Art Market. But the casinos are also important community assets, he added.
“Think about the thousands of people our casinos employ and the tremendous economic impact they have on the region,” he said. “Our investments in our properties over the past two decades have been transformational for the Seneca Nation and for all of Western New York.”
