Residents of the Suffolk County village of Islandia are up in arms over plans to build a casino at the Islandia Marriott hotel in the village.
At an Islandia Village board meeting on Tuesday, residents voiced opposition to the proposed hotel casino, which would be built by the entertainment company Delaware North, which would lease part of the space to Suffolk Off-Track Betting.
Residents are concerned that it will lower property values and increase traffic, gambling addictions and crime.
Newsday reports that Hauppauge School Board President David Barshay said the casino would threaten student safety, since it would be less than three miles from the district’s schools.
Suffolk OTB says the plans will help the company get out of bankruptcy.
Plans call for the casino to have 1,000 video lottery machines and simulcast live racing. It would be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m.