Economic Impact

More than 6,000 jobs created for Senecas and non-Senecas alike.

Fifth largest employer in western New York.

Hundreds of businesses created.

The Seneca Nation has generated economic benefits far beyond the borders of our native lands. In the last two decades, the Seneca Nation’s economy has flourished, providing better lives for thousands of families across western New York, Senecas and non-Senecas alike. The Nation has proven to be a successful engine for economic growth in the region by generating revenue from gaming and retail sales; helping to launch hundreds of start-up companies; and investment in emerging private sector ventures.

We have become one of the largest and fastest-growing employers in western New York, with Buffalo Business First ranking the Nation as the fifth largest employer in the region.

Western New York is our neighbor. As good neighbors, it is in our best mutual interests to help each other succeed. We are honored to be part of such collaborations. If Albany chooses to violate the treaties signed with the Nation, thousands of Senecas and non-Senecas will lose their jobs. Consumer prices will rise and businesses will close, further deepening the economic crisis facing New York today.

For an in depth look at the Seneca Nation economy please read The Seneca Nation Economy: It’s Foundations, Size, and Impact on New York State and the Western New York Region

A few of the Nation’s contributions to the state of New York include:

  • The Nation’s government employed 1,311 full-time and 100 part-time workers in 2007, ranging from teachers and judges to physicians and engineers. Total Nation payroll was $41.9 million and vendor outlays were $91 million.
  • The Seneca’s Business Permit Office tracked 240 unique businesses subject to Nation licensing. Non-Indians working in Indian territories earned two-thirds of the aggregate income, $94 million. Annually, the Nation and its corporate entities spend more than $90 million with vendors, suppliers and businesses across Western New York.
  • In addition to hundreds of union construction jobs created in the last eight years, the Nation has paid New York State and the local municipalities close to a $500 million in fees in exchange for the exclusive right to offer slot-type gaming devices in Western New York.
  • The economy produced an estimated off-reservation GDP of $779 million in the Western New York region and $820 million statewide. Purchases and services resulted in $46 million in estimated sales and excise tax revenue for the state in 2007.
  • In 2007, New York governments collected $166.1 million in direct payments and sales and excise taxes as a result of the Nation commerce. This includes $109.7 million from slot revenues and $104 million from gaming administrative costs.
  • Niagara County received direct payments for $24.7 million in 2007. These payments dwarf the combined tax yield from the land used for Nation enterprises in Niagara Falls of $130,000 a year, and casino-related costs of $300,000 estimated by the county.
  • One sector that declined is retail, led by tobacco sales. State action to limit credit card sales and contract shipping meant a $10.2 million drop in revenue.
  • According to a recent study by Harvard economist Jonathon Taylor, Seneca tobacco sales in 2005 generated $195 million in State Gross Domestic Product. The study concluded that for every $1 of gross profits accrued to the Nation’s tobacco business, the state economy gained $1.67.