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Casino Stalker | Litigation
Tohono O'odham Nation seeks IGRA exception in bid for casino


The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act generally bars gaming on land acquired after 1988 but the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona says it's entitled to an exception.

Section 20 of IGRA allows gaming on land acquired in connection with a land claim settlement. The tribe says it meets the exception because Congress set aside $30 million to make up for a reservation that was destroyed by flooding.

"It's an acknowledgment of the U.S. government that they wronged" the tribe, Chairman Ned Norris told USA Today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has agreed to acquire land that the tribe bought with the settlement funds. But the issue of gaming on the site near Glendale hasn't been decided.

Since IGRA was passed in 1988, only two tribes have opened casinos under the land claim exception.

Get the Story:
Tribe, city at odds over casino (USA Today 10/4)

Relevant Documents:
Federal Register Notice: Land Acquisitions; Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona (August 26, 2010)
Larry Echo Hawk Letter to Tohono O'odham Nation (July 23, 2010)

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