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Voters in Barstow, California, are headed to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether to establish a casino district.

Barstow is about halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas along Interstate 15. The proposed casino district is right off the highway near one of the city's outlet malls.

The ballot measure is controversial because the casino district includes the off-reservation gaming site sought by the Chemehuevi Tribe. It excludes the site sought by the Big Lagoon Rancheria and the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians, who want to operate two side-by-side casinos.

The matter is complicated by the lack of a gaming compact for the Chemehuevis. Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes have signed a deal with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R).

The debate is further muddied by charges of reservation shopping. Big Lagoon is a whopping 731 miles from Barstow while the Los Coyotes Band is 114 miles. The Chemehuevis are closer and have ancestral ties to the region.

Get the Story:
Barstow Voters to Place Their Bets (The Los Angeles Times 6/1)
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