Indian Gaming > Ponca Tribe's gaming approval stirs debate in Iowa

January 18, 2008

Ponca Tribe's gaming approval stirs debate in Iowa

State officials and gaming executives in Iowa are worried that the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska could open a casino in the state.

The tribe has trust land in Carter Lake, near the Nebraska border. The National Indian Gaming Commission said the site could be used for a casino even though the previously promised it wouldn't.

State officials had threatened a lawsuit against the tribe's land-into-trust application until the tribe agreed not to pursue gaming. But now Iowa attorney general Tom Miller is considering a legal challenge.

Class III gaming is legal in Iowa and three tribes operate casinos there. The Ponca Tribe does not have a Class III compact.

Get the Story:
Tribal casino could pull tax money from Iowa (The Des Moines Register 1/18)
Ponca Tribe mulling Carter Lake casino (The Lincoln Journal Star 1/18)
Ponca Tribe eyes casino for Carter Lake (The Omaha World-Herald 1/18)
Ponca Tribe considering C.L. casino (The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil 1/18)