Republican Sen. Joe Griffo in a statement Friday said he would oppose expanding the number of Vegas-style casinos in New York, pointing to the financial struggles of the existing gambling halls in the state. 

His opposition comes as state lawmakers are considering whether to expand casino gaming to the New York City metropolitan area. Currently, four commercial casinos are licensed to operate in New York, all in upstate New York. 

"From the very beginning, I expressed concerns with the site selection process and the rapid proliferation and over saturation of new gaming facilities throughout the state. The original premise behind establishing these casinos was to drive individuals and tourism upstate," Griffo said. "That has not happened, and these facilities have not met the expectations that the Governor originally touted."

At the same time, Griffo called a proposal to provide tax breaks to casino operators amid a recession "confounding" as lawmakers also seek to close a budget gap.

"We should be helping small businesses and New York families who have suffered greatly over the past year – not out-of-state commercial casino owners," he said. "The hole this casino tax break will create will come from our already strained budget, which will negatively affect residents and vital public services in healthcare, infrastructure, business assistance and more."