After months of political wrangling, California lawmakers ratified five Class III gaming compacts on Thursday after the tribes reached side deals to address certain issues.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians will be able to install up to 17,000 more slot machines at their already successful casinos. A fifth deal allows the Yurok Tribe to open a small casino with just 99 machines.

Legislative approval was being held up by Democrats in the Assembly. That changed when the tribes agreed to memorandums of understanding to address certain regulatory issues.

But in a blow to organized labor, which lobbied against the compacts, the side deals do not address union issues. And a fifth tribe, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, refused an MOU, saying it would set bad precedent.

Get the Story:
Casino pacts with Indians win approval (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 6/29)
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Legislature OKs casinos' growth (The Los Angeles Times 6/29)
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Analysis: Casino deal is a blow to labor (The Sacramento Bee 6/29)
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Tribe rejects gaming side deal (The San Bernardino Sun 6/29)
State OKs bigger casino (The North County Times 6/29)
Major expansion of California tribal gambling moves forward (AP 6/29)
New deal for Agua Caliente and Morongo (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 6/28)
Assembly OKs new gambling agreement with Pechanga, others (The Californian 6/28)
Assembly approves gaming compact for Yurok Tribe (The Eureka Reporter 6/28)