Indian Gaming > Editorial: Double whammy on off-reservation gaming

June 06, 2005

Editorial: Double whammy on off-reservation gaming

"For those concerned about the unchecked growth of casino gambling, there has been good news on two fronts. In both instances, the news may thwart schemes aimed at promoting the spread of Indian casino gambling in California and elsewhere.

First, Gov. Schwarzenegger issued a proclamation last month announcing he will decline to "engage in negotiation for tribal-state gaming compacts where the Indian tribe does not have Indian lands eligible for class III (Nevada style) gaming."

Second, two days after Schwarzenegger's announcement, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton stunned the gambling world when she refused to approve a gaming compact that had been negotiated between an Oregon Indian tribe and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski. In its letter to Gov. Kulongoski, the Interior Department explained that it had rejected the compact because the proposed gambling enterprise was set to take place on 'lands that are not now, and may never be, Indian lands.'"

Get the Story:
Editorial: Tribal casino schemes hit by double whammy (The Modesto Bee 6/6)