Casino gambling is illegal in New York State except on Indian reservations. These casinos need not be located on a reservation, however. A New York tribe could apply to the Department of Interior to develop one off site and then partner with Trump to operate it. The approval process could take four or five years, according to real estate sources Globest.com spoke with. Local and state would also have to sign off on the project.

In published reports, Governor George Pataki threw his support to casino development upstate where the money is sorely needed. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's position has been that if other areas of the state are allowed to build casinos, the city should not be denied the opportunity.

What is puzzling about the proposal is that Trump has been fighting to prevent any more casinos from being built in New York State for fear they will siphon revenues from the three gambling palaces he owns in Atlantic City. "This doesn't make any sense. He's just trying to get some publicity," the source told GlobeSt.com. "Trump isn't going to build a casino in Manhattan and shoot himself in the foot."