Town officials said they have assessed only the buildings at Turning Stone, not the casino gambling operations. The Oneidas would owe about $20 million in back taxes on the casino property based on the current assessment of about $378 million.īecause casino operations can’t be taxed, the assessed value of Turning Stone must be based “on the best and highest non-casino use of the property,” Cason said. The assessment could affect how much the Oneida Indian Nation would have to pay in taxes before Interior would take Oneida land into trust. Department of Interior, said in a letter to town officials. But that violates the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which forbids taxing tribal gambling operations, James Cason, associate deputy secretary of the U.S. Verona officials have assessed Turning Stone’s value as a casino property. VERONA – The town of Verona has illegally assessed the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Casino and Resort, according to a top federal official.
