"Federal law requires states, including this one, to negotiate the terms of gambling with Indian tribes. Federal law requires that tribes be licensed to run operations like those found elsewhere within a state. For more than two decades, governors, state legislatures, judges, enforcement officials at every level of government and maybe a tribal chief or two have been tripping over details.

Now, with a Superior Court judge's ruling, the whole enterprise seems to be in danger of falling flat on its face as the state Court of Appeals takes up Judge Howard Manning's order, which seems to say that the legislature must either put the highly lucrative Harrah's Cherokee Casino out of business or allow video gaming anywhere anybody wants to park a machine.

It is, of course, more nuanced than that; but nuance is what got us into this mess, so let's not go there.

Here is most of what we can take to the bank:

The state will not shutter North Carolina's only big-bucks casino, built on soil belonging to one of America's poorest tribes. Having negotiated under federal auspices with the Cherokee, who in turn bargained in good faith, it may not even have that authority anymore.

The state will not throw open the doors for everybody who wants to make some fast bucks selling suckers a chance to make some fast bucks in defiance of ridiculous odds."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Gambling ruling invites strong reservations (The Fayetteville Observer 10/19)

Earlier Story:
Court debates Eastern Cherokee gaming rights (10/15)