The Mohawk Indian Tribe is a step closer to open a casino in the Catskills since the New York Interior Department approved their casino projects environmental review. The agency concluded that the projected casino would not have any important impact on the environment.

The Interior Department’s approval is seen by the Tribe as the greatest gift for the holiday season. “It's a terrific Christmas gift for the tribe,” Leslie Logan, the Mohawk Tribe spokesman, said. “That’s how we are feeling.”

The Tribe plans to build the casino on 30 acres next to Monticello Gaming and Raceway in Sullivan County and it is expected to cost $600 million. The construction of the complex would bring hundreds of construction jobs to the area and once it is completed, it would create many casino positions.

In the next stage of the approval process, the governor must sign off the Interior Department’s authorization and then the state’s gambling compact must be amended to allow gambling in the Catskills.