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Seneca Allegany Casino Expands Poker Venue

Salamanca, NY, August 2004 - With the conclusion of the 2004 Athens Olympics, there is talk of adding Poker to the Olympics in 2008. If so, the new Poker Room at Seneca Allegany Casino, set to open at noon on Friday, September 3, could be a prime training ground. Seneca Allegany Casino officials will formally open the new Poker Room in what had been a dedicated high-stakes Bingo area at the Casino. Earlier in the day, Seneca Allegany Casino will celebrate the opening of the new Seneca Allegany Bingo in a renovated downtown Salamanca facility.

On Friday, September 3, at 11:30 a.m., Seneca Allegany Casino will open its doors to a new Poker Room with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Rickey L. Armstrong, Sr., President, Seneca Nation of Indians, and Tina Abrams, Director of Class II Gaming, Seneca Allegany Casino and Council member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, will be on hand for the latest addition to the Seneca Allegany Casino family.

The high-stakes Poker Room will feature 16 tables with seating for up to 156 players at a time. Games include Texas Hold'em, Omaha and 7 Card Stud. The distinction between the high-stakes Poker and the other poker games played on the larger casino floor is that guests are playing against each other instead of the 'House.' All limits, including pot-limit and no-limit, will be offered.

With the exception of the Casino's sister facility, Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, NY, the new 7,590-square-foot room is one of only a few Poker venues in New York State. This is the biggest Poker Room in the area - attracting players from Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York. Players will receive complimentary beverages in the Poker Room and food service will be available. Smoking is not permitted in the area.

Seventy-five new permanent jobs have been created to operate the new Poker Room, but the Casino didn't have to look far for employees as it recently graduated 70 students from an intense 10-week Poker training course.

According to VIP Casino, the popularity of Poker has reached an all-time high. Casino card rooms are at capacity and the games interest has now gone mainstream with television shows, celebrity endorsement and media coverage. "Recent statistics show that Poker alone is responsible for over $80 million a day changing hands," said Mr. Armstrong.

Located in the foothills of scenic Salamanca, Seneca Allegany Casino features Vegas-style gaming and a new Poker Room. The Casino's 48,000 square feet includes a main gaming floor with table games including Blackjack, Craps, Caribbean Stud Poker, Spanish 21 and 3 Card Poker, more than 1,700 reel-spinning and video slot machines, two snack bars, Thunder Mountain Buffet, Eight Clans Gift Shop, live weekend entertainment and a bus lobby. The Casino also offers free valet and self-parking and complimentary beverages while gaming. In addition, the newly opened Seneca Allegany Bingo offers Bingo fans an upscale facility dedicated to various games of Bingo. Free shuttles run continuously between the two facilities.

Seneca Allegany Casino and Seneca Allegany Bingo are owned and operated by the Seneca Nation of Indians.