Indian Gaming > Ponca Tribe faces another opponent of casino

September 8, 2008

Ponca Tribe faces another opponent of casino

The city council in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is expected to pass a resolution today that opposes the casino sought by the Ponca Tribe.

The resolution backs the state's lawsuit against the National Indian Gaming Commission. The state is challenging a December 31, 2007, decision that allowed the tribe to pursue a casino.

The tribe plans a casino in the city of Carter Lake, just across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs. Officials say the tribal facility will hurt the three commercial casinos in Council Bluffs.

The state of Nebraska has a separate lawsuit against the NIGC. Though Carter Lake is in Iowa, the only way to reach the city by vehicle is through Nebraska.

The Ponca Tribe's headquarters are in Niobara, Nebraska, about 200 miles from the casino site. Congress defined the tribe's service area to include parts of Iowa.

Get the Story:
Bluffs Council expected to oppose Ponca Tribe proposal (The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil 9/8)