A referendum was required in each county to approve casinos.

Proponents of casino gambling in Connecticut cite numerous other states that have already approved casinos.

If the State Legislature ever approves land-based casinos in the city, the commission would perform the same role for those applications.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver also insisted that he would not approve casinos in western New York unless the Catskills also got them.

Recently, the area has approved casinos and has seen a resurgence in attention and funds as a result.

Proponents of gambling in Connecticut cite other states that have approved casinos: South Dakota, Colorado and Iowa have all allowed it in limited ways.

Michigan voters had already approved land-based casinos for Detroit, but Thursday's vote in favor of specific plans for a $1.8 billion complex of three hotels and casinos was pivotal.

Governors have long held that they, alone, had the power to approve or reject casinos that Indian tribes want to establish.

Mr. Trump said he also continues to provide financial support for a lawsuit challenging Governor Pataki's authority to approve Indian casinos without a vote by the State Legislature.

In a surprise result, voters in Michigan approved casinos for Detroit by three percentage points.