Joseph Spector and Jon Campbell in the Poughkeepsie Journal report that a series of hearings about possible casino gambling sites in New York will be held up and down the Hudson Valley this week, with webcasts for anyone to watch. The state Gaming Facility Location Board is expected in to allow four casino licenses for private developers after voters last year voted to permit up to seven casinos statewide. The board will hold daylong public comment periods in Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Ithaca about the 16 remaining applications for licenses. The events will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Albany hearing will be Sept. 22; the Poughkeepsie event will be Sept. 23, and the Ithaca event will be Sept. 24 with webcasts at www.gaming.ny.gov. Each applicant at the hearings can give a 45-minute presentation and allow 15 minutes for questions from the board. The board has yet to announce the order of the presentations. Though no applications are sited in Greene or Columbia counties, several hope to place casinos around Albany and Saratoga. See the New York Gaming Commission website for more information.

Hearing locations
Sept. 22, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Albany Holiday Inn Turf
205 Wolf Road, Albany

Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
The Grandview, 176 Rinaldi Blvd.
Poughkeepsie

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Hotel Ithaca
222 S. Cayuga St., Ithaca