"Congress passed IGRA to allow tribes to participate in gambling opportunities at the same level that is legal within a state, not to promote expansion of gambling within a state or to enrich gambling developers.

Taking lands in trust is generally a procedure used to acquire lands contiguous to existing tribal lands or lands previously occupied by the tribe. "Reservation shopping" to find hot urban locations for a casino hundreds of miles from legitimate tribal territory is inconsistent with historical land in trust acquisitions.

How would Santa Feans like to see a tribal casino open up in downtown Santa Fe? The Hotel Santa Fe, on land already owned by the Picuris Pueblo, certainly has that potential."

Get the Story:
Guy C. Clark/New Mexico Coalition Against Gambling: Richardson Should Deny Looming Casino Push (The Albuquerque Journal 9/13)