CITY BEAT: Wilton back in the news

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Mark Scheer

July 4, 2011

By Mark Scheer Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Mon Jul 04, 2011, 01:03 AM EDT

Column by Mark Scheer — In the early days of the state-run USA Niagara Development Corp., I would often find myself standing outside closed rooms waiting for a guy named Michael Wilton to step outside.

Wilton, as some may recall, was the first local president of the state-run agency formed in 2001 to oversee development in downtown Niagara Falls.

We got along OK, even though I had a tendency to stalk him.

In 2003, having apparently finished his tour of duty in the Falls, Wilton was appointed by former Gov. George Pataki to serve as president of the Higher Education Services Corp., an agency that oversees loans, grants and scholarships for college students. He was replaced at USA Niagara by Meredith Andreucci, who has since been replaced by current agency President Chris Schoepflin.

Wilton’s name hasn’t crossed my mind in some time.

I was reminded of his tenure here after I came across an article last week about a Malaysian gambling company’s bid to ramp up casino gaming statewide.

The report in the Albany Times Union linked Wilton to an organization called the New York Gaming Association, a coalition of video lottery terminal operators that evidently wants to convince Albany lawmakers to support an amendment to the state’s constitution that would give so-called “racinos” the ability to operate as full-fledged casino operations. According to the article, the driving force behind the effort is Genting, an Asian company that owns destination resorts and casinos in other parts of the world, including one in Singapore and another in Malaysia. The group is apparently ready to pump roughly $1 million per year into an Albany lobbying effort aimed at turning the Aqueduct Racetrack into a Las Vegas-style casino and raceway.

Enter Wilton.

In recent years, he’s been working as an Albany lobbyist with the firm Patricia Lynch and Associates. The article suggests he may soon be named executive director of the NYGA.

If that is indeed what happens, the guy who once led efforts to revitalize downtown Niagara Falls will be one of the primary advocates for casino gaming expansion in New York state.

According to the article, his group would be looking for legislative support for the passage of a change in the state constitution. A second passage of a resolution would follow in 2013, with the proposition put to voters in time for the November 2013 election.

Constitutional amendments generally aren’t well received in New York and gaming expansion efforts have failed in the past, but Albany seems to be operating a little bit differently these days.

It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

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