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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Gaming
The Oneida Indian Nation announced a $370 million expansion of its Verona, New York-based Turning Stone Casino, per a statement released Friday.
The project includes the construction of a 258-room hotel and restaurant, the relocation of a Caesars Entertainment-owned sportsbook to the resort’s night club, and an onsite medical center, among other changes. It will also double the casino’s existing conference space, including new meeting rooms, ballrooms and an indoor parking garage with 2,000 parking spaces.
The expansion will also install more than 120 electric vehicle chargers across the Turning Stone Resort Casino property in partnership with electric vehicle producer Tesla. The move builds on news of a Tesla electric vehicle showroom coming to Oneida tribal lands in 2025, per prior Tribal Business News reporting.
The project marks the largest transformation of the casino since its opening in 1993. The tribe plans to complete the expansion over the course of two years beginning in early 2024, creating 3,600 one-time jobs alongside a $616 million one-time economic impact in the process, according to the Tribe’s announcement.
The project is “much more than just an expansion,” according to Oneida Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter. “It is nothing less than a full evolution of the region’s premier destination and its role as an economic leader. Together with our existing facilities and partnerships, the new conference center will make Turning Stone and Central New York an even more desirable destination for larger and more prestigious events.”
The tribe also plans to change the name of Turning Stone’s governing enterprise, Oneida Nation Enterprises, to Turning Stone Enterprises beginning Oct. 1 this year. The tribe’s statement calls the change an “evolution” reflecting Turning Stone’s central role in their economic development.
Citing an independent study by global advisory firm Oxford Economics, the tribe wrote Turning Stone led the tribe’s enterprises in generating more than $1 billion in economic impact in the region while annually supporting more than 7,000 jobs, including the Nation’s 4,500 direct employees.
“The new organizational identity recognizes the important role of Turning Stone in setting the standard for all of the Oneida Indian Nation’s enterprises and the essential contributions of every team member, regardless of where they work, in establishing and upholding this standard,” the statement reads.
