There currently are no casinos in Suffolk County, but that could change if a newly formed task force finds that a casino could help the economy. One person that is not convinced casino gambling in Suffolk is the answer is County Executive Steve Levy, although he is not opposed to the task force.
"I’ve never been a fan of bringing a gambling operation into Suffolk. As with Atlantic City and Connecticut, you don’t tend to see the filtering down effect in the economy that is always touted. The tribes get rich, but you don’t see the surrounding economy improve," he said.
Others do not agree with his stance, and it will be up to the task force to prove Levy wrong in his assertion that the economy in the area would not improve with the addition of a casino.
The task force could take up to a year and a half to do their research. In that time, officials will keep a close eye on the economy. A still staggering economy could lead to a change in position regarding casino expansion in Suffolk.