September 5, 2008
"In recent years, charity bingo has been unable to compete with the richer prizes and slot machine-type bingo games allowed at Indian casinos in California. Alarmed by dwindling bingo revenues, the Catholic Church, one of the state's biggest charity bingo operators, pushed a bill by state Sen. Gill Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, to double the $250 prize limit in charity bingo games. Meanwhile at the behest of a handful of local charities, Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, introduced a bill to legalize bingo machines.
Unwilling to tolerate any serious competition with their gambling operations, the tribes initially fought both bills. As a chronology put together by The Sacramento Bee's Steve Wiegand makes clear, the tribes prevailed at almost every legislative hearing. Not coincidentally, the tribes have contributed $656,700 to 70 of the Legislature's 120 members in the first six months of 2008.
After the tribes announced their opposition, Steinberg quickly dropped his bill to allow electronic bingo at charity bingo parlors. The Cedillo bill was amended to give big charities the power to consolidate and simulcast their operations. Anything that might have constituted a real threat to the tribes' slot machine monopoly was deleted."
Get the Story:
Editorial: If tribes want it – BINGO! – they get it
(The Sacramento Bee 9/4) Username: indianz, Password: indianzcom
The National Indian Gaming Commission is asking tribes to comment on a new policy that applies to lands acquired after the passage of the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.
IGRA generally bars gaming on lands acquired after 1988. But Section 20 of the law contains several exceptions that have been and are being litigated in federal courts.
NIGC usually follows the Interior Department when considering issue affecting after acquired lands. But
Chairman Phil Hogen is asking tribes whether his agency, which Congress set up as independent, should develop its own process.
Comments will be accepted until September 30.
Get the Story:
NIGC Announces Extension on Comment Period for After-Acquired Lands Policy
(NIGC 9/4)
The Seneca Nation of New York is appealing a notice of violation issued by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The tribe says the Buffalo
Creek Casino in Buffalo will remain open while the appeal is pursued. At issue is whether the gaming site qualifies for gaming under the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act.
The tribe purchased the Buffalo site in 2005 with funds authorized by an act of
Congress. Though IGRA bars gaming on lands acquired after 1988, it allows
exceptions -- one exception applies to land acquired through a settlement.
In a July 8 ruling, Judge William M. Skretny said the tribe failed to qualify for the
land claim exception. He reaffirmed his decision on August 26 and told the NIGC to come into compliance with his ruling.
Get the Story:
Seneca Nation files notice of appeal (WIVB 9/4)
Senecas appeal latest federal ruling
(Business First of Buffalo 9/4)
Feds may shut down temporary Buffalo casino within five days (The Buffalo News 9/4)
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) said he is not ready to negotiate a Class III gaming compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
Patrick supports gaming but said the state will wait until the tribe's land-into-trust application is finalized. The tribe believes an answer will come in the first few months of 2009.
The tribe seeks land in two towns, one for a casino and the other for governmental programs. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is preparing an environmental impact statement.
Get the Story:
Patrick: State not ready for casino compact talks
(The Cape Cod Times 9/5)
The tribal council of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee
Indians delayed action on a controversial issue: alcohol at the Harrah’s
Cherokee Casino.
On August 7, the council approved a referendum to ask voters about legalizing alcohol sales. Principal Chief vetoed the legislation last week.
The council could override the veto but decided to wait until Hicks returns from vacation to debate the issue. In the past, tribal members have rejected alcohol sales.
Get the Story:
Tribe puts off alcohol sale vote
(The Asheville Citizen-Times 9/5)
September 4, 2008
The board of supervisors in Pottawattamie County, Iowa voted 4-0 on Wednesday to stay out of litigation over the casino sought by the Ponca Tribe.
The state of Iowa and the state of Nebraska already filed lawsuits to stop the casino. County officials said their interests are already represented by Iowa's so they decided not to join the fight.
The tribe plans to build a casino on 5 acres of trust land in the city of Carter Lake, in Pottawattmie County. The county is home to three commercial casinos.
The land was taken into trust after 1988 but it can be used for gaming because the Poncas are a restored tribe, the National Indian Gaming
Commission said in a December
31, 2007, decision.
The tribe's headquarters are in Nebraska but Carter Lake is part of its Congressionally-defined service area.
Get the Story:
Pottawattamie Board Won't Join Casino Suit
(WOWT 9/3)
Pott. County Won't File Suit Against Proposed Casino (KPTM 9/3)
Pottawattamie County won't join casino lawsuit (The Omaha World-Herald 9/3)
Tribe gambles on good will of officials with casino (The Omaha World-Herald 9/3)
A judge in California invalidated a casino agreement between the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the city of Richmond.
The tribe agreed to pay $335 million over 20 years for emergency services,
roadwork and other impacts of a proposed casino. But Judge Barbara Zuniga said
the city failed to conduct environmental reviews before signing the deal.
The tribe plans to acquire 30 acres outside of city limits for the
casino. The Bureau of Indian
Affairs completed the environmental impact
statement in March.
Get the Story:
Judge tosses Richmond-tribe deal on casino
(The San Francisco Chronicle 9/4)
Judge axes Richmond casino deal (AP 9/3)
Pojoaque Pueblo in New Mexico brought out the showgirls, a modified Las Vegas sign and the Flying Elvi for the grand opening of its $275 million Buffalo Thunder
Resort & Casino on Wednesday.
The facility is the largest in the state. It features 61,000 square-feet of gaming space, 395-room Hilton hotel, a spa and pool, meeting and convention spaces and seven restaurants and entertainment venues.
"Today Pojoaque makes pottery, Pojoaque makes jewelry and Pojoaque makes money," Gov George Rivera said, according to news reports.
The facility held a soft opening last month.
Get the Story:
lying Elvi greet Buffalo Thunder
(The Santa Fe New Mexican 9/4)
Elvi Shake Up Resort Opening (The Albuquerque Journal 9/4)
The National Indian Gaming Commission issued a notice of violation to the Seneca Nation of New York, telling the tribe to close its off-reservation casino.
The notice said the Buffalo
Creek Casino in Buffalo was operating in violation of the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act. The tribe does not have a federally approved gaming ordinance and the casino site does not qualify for gaming under IGRA, the NIGC said.
NIGC Chairman Phil Hogen said he was forced to act in response to a federal court decision that said the site was ineligible for gaming. Prior to the NOV, the agency defended the legality of the facility.
The tribe purchased the Buffalo site in 2005 with funds authorized by an act of Congress. Though IGRA bars gaming on lands acquired after 1988, it allows exceptions -- one exception applies to land acquired through a settlement.
In a July
8 ruling, Judge William M. Skretny said the tribe failed to qualify for the land claim exception.
He reaffirmed his decision on August 26 and told the NIGC to come into compliance.
The tribe, which halted construction on a permanent home for the Buffalo casino, plans to appeal the NOV.
Get the Story:
Government Issues "Notice of Violation" to Seneca Nation
(WKBW 9/3)
Feds declare Buffalo casino illegal (AP 9/3)
Massachusetts Gov. Deval
Patrick hasn't decided whether to enter into negotiations for a Class III gaming compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag
Tribe, a spokesperson said.
A letter to Patrick makes the case to start talks as soon as possible. Chairman Shawn Hendricks said state approval could speed up federal review of the tribe's land-into-trust application.
"That application is proceeding on schedule and we are confident of an approval in the first or second quarters of 2009," Hendricks told Patrick. "We believe that this schedule could be expedited with state support."
The tribe is asking for land in two towns to be placed in trust. Local officials are supporting the application but so far Patrick has indicated he won't negotiate until the Bureau of Indian Affairs makes a decision.
There is no requirement in federal law that land be in trust in order to negotiate a compact. But the Bush administration, without tribal consultation, adopted an internal policy that bars approval of compacts that refer to lands that may or may not be in trust.
The administration said the policy is based on the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act though it was written in response to an off-reservation casino proposal in Oregon.
Get the Story:
Tribe looking to speed up casino process (The Cape Cod Time 9/4)
Tribe asks gov for casino talks
(The Boston Herald 9/4)
September 3, 2008
"To visit the Mohegan Sun resort in Uncasville, Conn., is to catch a glimpse of Kenosha's future.
Outstanding craftsmanship performed by local workers. Impeccable service by well-paid employees. Top-quality entertainment that draws visitors to the area and other nearby attractions. A strong and involved community partner.
Kenosha has heard a lot about the Mohegan Tribe over the past several years, ever since the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin announced its proposal to build a world-class entertainment center and casino at Dairyland Greyhound Park.
The Mohegan Tribe is the developer for the Menominee project and will serve as manager for its first seven years of operations.
I've had the opportunity to meet some of the Mohegan leaders when they've visited town. I'm always impressed by their dedication to the Menominee, by their interest in supporting the Kenosha community and by their business experience, acumen and philosophy.
I was already impressed before I visited the Mohegan Sun along with other Kenosha business leaders last month. When I arrived, I was blown away."
Get the Story:
Dave Gallo: Connecticut casino provides glimpse of Kenosha's future
(Connecticut casino provides glimpse of Kenosha's future 9/3)
"This is a story about how laws are made in California. It's about poor kids in Los Angeles who lack tuition for parochial school, and disabled kids in Sacramento whose beloved therapy program is threatened. It's about casino tribes, Catholic priests, high school sports and blind people. Oh, and bingo.
Early 2008: Gil Cedillo is talking to John Moretta. Cedillo is a 54-year-old state senator from Los Angeles. Moretta is the 67-year-old monsignor of Church of the Resurrection Catholic Church in the east L.A. neighborhood of Boyle Heights. A lifelong resident of the Heights, Cedillo received his first Holy Communion at Resurrection.
Moretta tells Cedillo that the parish's bingo games are suffering, and that unless something is done, the parish will have to stop offering the hundred or so scholarships to the parish school that it extends to poor families.
Cedillo promises to see what he can do."
Get the Story:
Bingo bill took circuitous route through Capitol
(The Sacramento Bee 9/3) Username: indianz, Password: indianzcom
Wisconsin tribes saw a 7.3 percent increase in gaming revenues in 2007, according to the latest Indian
Gaming Industry Report.
The tribes beat the national growth rate of 5 percent. Economist Alan Meister attributed the increase to a jump in the number of slot machines at tribal facilities.
The state is home to 27 tribal casinos.
Get the Story:
Report finds tribal gaming casinos not affected by economic downturn
(Wheeler News Service 9/3) Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianz
The leader of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians in North Carolina says liquor should remain illegal on the reservation.
The tribal council authorized a referendum to sell liquor at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. But Chief Michell Hicks vetoed the request and said alcohol goes against tribal values.
'It is my belief that an affirmative decision to open the door for alcohol would shame our forefathers for their efforts on this issue," Hicks said in a letter to the tribal council, The Smoky Mountain News reported.
The tribe's gaming enterprise board says liquor sales could boost revenue at the casino. Many tribal members are opposed to the idea.
Get the Story:
Eastern Band chief vetoes casino alcohol vote
(The Smoky Mountain News 9/3)
The Mashpee Wampanoag
Tribe will formally ask Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) to negotiate a Class III gaming compact.
The tribe is still in the land-into-trust process to acquire a casino site. But chairman Shawn Hendricks said the time was right to sit down and talk with the state.
"We'd like to start the negotiations and get the ball rolling," . Hendricks told The Boston Globe. "I see no reason why the state wouldn't sit and talk with us."
Full-scale Class III gaming is not legal in Massachusetts. Patrick has promoted commercial gaming but lawmakers rejected his bill to authorize three casinos.
The tribe submitted its land-into-trust application in August 2007. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is working on an environmental impact statement for the project.
Get the Story:
Tribe wants talks on casino
(The Boston Globe 9/3)
Tribe asks state to start casino talks (The Cape Cod Times 9/3)
September 2, 2008
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is waiting patiently on its casino bid, a year after submitting a land-into-trust application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
At the time the application was filed in late August 2007, the tribe said the process would take 18 months. The BIA has already held a series of public hearings on the proposal so it looks like the timetable might hold.
Less certain is whether the tribe will be able to negotiate a Class III gaming compact with the state. Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is open to negotiations but full-scale gaming is not yet legal in the state. He also won't negotiate until the land for the casino site is in trust.
“It doesn’t start until they say it starts,” Patrick said, GateHouse News Service reported. “And there’s not a lot of point in starting until the land-in-trust process is finished.”
Get the Story:
Tribe waiting patiently for Middleboro casino negotiations
(GateHouse News Service 9/2)
A 24-year-old man was killed outside the casino on the Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta on Saturday.
Muhammed Ali Ibrahim was apparently involved in an altercation at the $178 million River Cree Resort and Casino. A 20-year-old woman was injured during the incident.
A regular patron of the casino said the nightclub where the fight took place is overrun by gangs. "We try to enjoy ourselves on a Saturday night and you can't. It's loud and they're fighting. It's no good," the patron told The Edmonton Sun.
The reserve is located west of Edmonton.
Get the Story:
Police release name of Alberta casino shooting victim (CBC 9/1)
Casino visit deadly (The Edmonton Sun 8/31)
Man shot to death outside River Cree Casino
(The Edmonton Journal 8/30)
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has extended the comment period on a proposed regulation to address review and approval of tribal-state gaming compacts.
Comments are being accepted until September 22, according to a notice published in today's issue of the Federal Register.
The rule was proposed on July 2 without much prior tribal consultation. It closely tracks the provisions of Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act that address review and approval of Class III gaming compacts.
Two Democrats who led the fight against off-reservation casinos in Michigan have received more than $133,000 from gaming interests, The Detroit News reports.
Rep. John Conyers Jr., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, whose district includes the commercial casinos in Detroit, successfully defeated the tribal casino bill earlier this year. Both received contributions from gaming interests that opposed the casinos.
Conyers received $88,899 from gaming interests in the current election cycle. He is now the fourth-biggest recipient of gaming dollars in the House.
Cheeks received $44,250 in the current election cycle. The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, which opposed the off-reservation casinos, donated $4,600.
Get the Story:
Lawmakers get gaming boost
(The Detroit News 9/2)
The National Indian Gaming Commission is still looking into safety issues at the casino owned by the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department and some citizens' groups want the Soboba Casino shut down due to violent incidents on the reservation.
Three tribal members were shot and killed by deputies in May and there have been a number of officer-related shootings on or near the reservation.
The NIGC visited visited the casino last month but no decisions have been made about the status of the facility. "This issue is not resolved," a spokesperson told The New York Times.
The tribe welcomes the oversight but says the county is overreacting. The tribe says sheriff's deputies have overstepped their authority.
Get the Story:
Clash With Tribe Spurs Effort to Shut a Casino
(The New York Times 9/2) Username: indianzcom, Password: indianzcom
September 1, 2008
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is holding back more than $19 million in gaming revenues promised to state and local governments in Michigan.
The tribe agreed to share 8 percent of slot machine revenues with the state and 2 percent with local governments. But a dispute over the tribal-state compact and the makeup of a local revenue-sharing board has tied the money up.
The compact issue has been resolved but the $15.6 million owed to the state remains in an escrow account, The South Bend reported. Another $3.9 million for local governments is still in dispute.
The Four Winds Casino opened in August 2007. It reportedly pulls in $24.4 million a month.
Get the Story:
Four Seasons casino payments yet to come
(The South Bend Tribune 9/1)
Connections to Indian gaming helped bring down former Congressman Tom DeLay (R-Texas) but that isn't stopping him from speaking at the casino owned by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
DeLay, the former House majority leader, is the keynote speaker at the California Republican Party's upcoming Liberty Dinner. The event takes place at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa on October 4.
DeLay resigned in June 2006 after being linked to the Jack Abramoff scandal and after being indicted in Texas on election charges. He was closely linked to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Abramoff's biggest client, despite being opposed to gambling.
Get the Story:
DeLay stirs up anxious volunteer
(The Riverside Press-Enterprise 9/1) Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianz
August 31, 2008
The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana shut down its casino on Sunday morning out of precaution for Hurricane Gustav.
The closing of the Coushatta Casino Resort is temporary. The tribe plans to reopen the facility once the storm passes and conditions are deemed safe, according to a press release.
Get the Story:
Press Release: Coushatta Casino closed for evacuation
(Coushatta Tribe 8/31)
August 29, 2008
After being denied a New Mexico gaming license, Pojoaque Pueblo will debate what to do with a former racetrack.
The tribe wanted to operate slot machines at the Downs at Santa Fe. But the state Racing Commission rejected the tribe's application.
Gov. George Rivera says the tribe hasn't decided what to do with the 328-acre property. "I think it's just time for us to sit back and be patient," Rivera told The Santa Fe New Mexican.
The property is not held in trust.
Get the Story:
Pueblo in no rush to remake Downs
(The Santa Fe New Mexican 8/29)
Business hasn't been the greatest for the Mohegan Tribe in the past few months but that didn't stop a $925 million expansion of the Mohegan Sun Casino.
The tribe debuts the Casino of the Wind expansion today, amid dwindling slot machine revenues and the downturn in the national economy. The tribe felt the pinch -- construction costs soared, raising the price tag of the costly project.
But Chairman Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum said the future looks good for the tribe. The 64,000 square-foot facility features more than 650 slot machines and 28 table games and marks the return of poker games at the casino.
“We didn’t see a reason to stop what we’re doing here on the casino side,” Bozsum told The Norwich Bulletin.
Get the Story:
Mohegans ‘redefining’ their market with Casino of the Wind
(The Norwich Bulletin 8/29)
Expansion signifies return of poker to Mohegan Sun (The Norwich Bulletin 8/29)
Artist leaves mark on casino expansion (The Norwich Bulletin 8/29)<
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts isn't worried about the financial rating of one of its gaming investors, a spokesperson said.
Waterford Gaming, which is owned by South African business tycoon Len Wolman, is backing the tribe's casino bid. While the project undergoes federal review, Moody's Investors Service. is considering a downgrade in Waterford's rating.
The potential downgrade is not related to the Mashpee project. It's tied to the Mohegan Tribe's casino in Connecticut, which Wolman helped to build.
Wolman is no longer involved with the Mohegan Sun Casino but Waterford continues to receive a percentage of revenues. Since the casino has seen dwindling slot returns, Moody's is concerned about Waterford's financial status.
"The partnership that the tribe has with the investors remains solid,” a spokesperson for the Mashpee told The Boston Herald. “Each investment stands on its own.”
Get the Story:
Hard luck puts cloud over casino group
(The Boston Herald 8/29)
"While Playboy Magazine is picking the Oklahoma Sooners to be the No. 1 in football in 2008, the state of Oklahoma has the dubious distinction of being No. 1 in Indian gambling.
That’s gambling, not gaming. Gaming sounds like harmless fun while gambling sounds too harsh.
What state has the most Indian casinos? Well, there are 423 Indian casinos in America and about one-fourth - 94 - are in Oklahoma.
That makes us No. 1, thanks to Gov. Brad Henry who made legalized gambling the centerpiece of his administration.
California comes in at No. 2 with a measly 57 and Minnesota is third with 35.
Even though we have the most casinos, California (or known to some as Northern Mexico) is No. 1 with 62,732 gambling machines. We have 41,771 gambling machines in Oklahoma. And again, Minnesota has 20,935. Minnesota has a third the number of casinos we have but about half the machines.
You can see a pattern developing here - Oklahoma has a lot of casinos that don’t bring in a lot of money per unit."
Get the Story:
Charles Biggs: Oklahoma’s growing chance for being No. 1 in anything
(The Tulsa Beach 8/28)
The Prairie Band Potawatomi
Nation is in court today to prevent its former gaming partner from opening a casino in Kansas.
Harrah's Entertainment used to run the Prairie Band Casino & Resort under a federally-approved gaming management contract. The deal ended last year when the tribe took complete control of the facility.
Even though the relationship ended, the tribe says Harrah's promised to wait two years before getting into the gaming business in Kansas. The tribe says the pledge was broken when Harrah's won approval to manage a commercial casino in the state.
Get the Story:
Kan. tribe seeks to stop Harrah's planned casino
(AP 8/28)
August 28, 2008
The California Assembly passed a bill on Wednesday to ban electronic bingo machines at churches and charities.
The California Tribal Business Alliance, which consist of six tribes represented by the same attorney, is pushing SB 1369. The tribe say the use of the machines violates the tribal-state compact.
Some churches and charities oppose the measure. "This is a ramrod job," said Doug Bergman, president of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Sacramento, The Los Angeles Times. "You know it and I know it."
The Senate is expected to pass the bill before the end of the legislative session on Sunday.
Get the Story:
California tribes seek to ban slot-like bingo machines
(The Los Angeles Times 8/28) Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianzcom
The Seneca Nation of New York halted work at two casino sites on Wednesday, citing financial concerns.
The tribe is working on a $130 million hotel expansion at the Seneca Allegany Hotel and Casino in Salamanca and a permanent $333 million home for the Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo. Both projects were immediately stopped yesterday.
“In keeping with our financial commitments to our owner, the Seneca Nation of Indians, and with our obligations to our bondholders, we have decided that it is our responsibility to suspend our construction activities at this time, as we endeavor to preserve the continuing strength and vitality of our company," said Barry E. Snyder Sr., the chairman of Seneca Gaming Corporation, The Buffalo News reported.
The move came a day after a federal judge reaffirmed his view that the Buffalo facility does not qualify for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Get the Story:
Halt to Seneca casino construction follows nationwide slump in gambling income (The Buffalo News 8/28)
Senecas stop Buffalo, Salamanca work
(Business First of Buffalo 8/27)
The United Auto Workers union is collecting signatures in hopes of persuading the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut to come to the bargaining table.
The union won the right to organize at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. But the tribe says federal labor law doesn't apply on the reservation.
The tribe is headed to federal court to fight the National Labor Relations Board on the sovereignty issue. In the meantime, the tribe says the union is welcome to organize under tribal law.
Get the Story:
UAW demands that Foxwoods agree to bargain
(The New London Day 8/28) Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianzcom
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is debuting an expansion of its commercial casino in Detroit, Michigan, today.
The tribe has been operating Greektown Casino in a temporary space. The facility's permanent home is now ready for gamblers with 3,000 slot machines and 100,000 square feet of space.
More parts of the new casino will open in the coming months. A 400-room hotel will make its debut in February.
The tribe is a majority partner in Greektown, which is reorganizing in federal bankruptcy court.
Get the Story:
Greektown Casino marks a milestone with gaming expansion
(The Detroit Free Press 8/28)
"Sometimes the lawsuit brought by a group of citizens and citizens’ organizations to block the Senecas’ downtown Buffalo casino seems like a soap opera: You think the plot is actually getting somewhere but then you realize it’s just going around one more time, and may very well continue doing so until all the current players have been worn out and replaced.
And other times it is like one of those inexorable processes slowly moving toward an inevitable conclusion, a process that is maddening because you think you know where it has to wind up yet the rules won’t let you just go there. You must go step by step by step by step.
In the most recent development, US District Court Judge William M. Skretny followed up on his July 6 ruling that the casino operated in downtown Buffalo by the Seneca Nation of Indians had been improperly authorized by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) with an order to NIGC to do what it is supposed to do when a tribe of Indians is operating a casino improperly or illegally. He hasn’t told them what to do other than that: Get off your duffs and obey the law.
The law seems to prescribe two courses of action in such situations: a fine or shutting the operation down temporarily (“temporarily” in a legal case like this can stretch into forever if conditions are right). Since the basis of the judge’s order is his July 6 ruling that the Buffalo casino is illegal, a fine isn’t a rational option, since that would merely let the Senecas pay a fee for continuing an operation that would still be illegal. They would immediately have to pay another, and another, and another. They might be willing to do that, but the courts wouldn’t stand for that kind of foolishness. That leaves NIGC only one course of action: shutting it down.
The judge’s ruling is perhaps like telling a traveler, “Go down this road and when you reach the end of it you can turn left or right. Your choice.” The traveler gets there and finds a road on the left, but on the right there is only a loop that keeps bringing him back to exactly the same intersection. He can take the loop, but he’s not moving anywhere. NIGC can administer a fine, but that won’t be changing anything. "
Get the Story:
Stop Stalling, Says The Judge
(Artvoice 8/28)
"Any time the crew can hit the road and get away from the stressful environs of Los Angeles is time well spent.
Departing from Long Beach by car and first driving over the never-ending “Grapevine” of Interstate 5, these travelers made the transition to the old Highway 99 heading north towards Fresno. This road is a more direct route to casinos that are sprinkled throughout the farm belt of the Central Valley.
Fresno was to be tonight’s welcomed resting place after visits to both the Eagle Mountain Casino west of Porterville and the Tachi Palace near Lemoore.
To find Eagle Mountain, head east on Highway 190 from Highway 99 towards Porterville, turn right on Road 284, left on Indian Reservation Road and follow the signs along a road some 11 miles long and full of switchbacks right to the casino.
This road winds through territory that is occupied by the Tule River Tribe of Yokuts. The trip is slow going to anyone who might happen to get stuck behind groups of gamblers riding buses provided by the casino. Plenty of buses seemed to be making this trip in both directions.
Evidence of brush fires blanket the surrounding hills as this land is hot and dry in summertime. It is unclear how recent these brushfires were but the blackened hills extend as for as far as the eye can see along this road to the casino."
Get the Story:
The State of Indian Casinos in the Central Valley of California
(The Open Press 8/28)
August 27, 2008
The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut will debut the first phase of a $925 million expansion of the Mohegan Sun Casino on Friday.
The 64,000-square-foot Casino of the Wind includes more than 650 slot machines and 28 table games.
Poker will make its return after the tribe ended the games a few years ago.
Phase two of the project includes a 920-room hotel and more stores and restaurants. The original cost of the project went up due to rising construction prices.
The tribe has seen a drop in slot machine revenues amid the downturn in the national economy.
Get the Story:
Mohegan Sun opening new casino
(AP 8/27)
South Dakota tribes saw a 3 percent drop in gaming revenues, according to the latest Indian
Gaming Industry Report.
Economist Alan Meister of the Analysis Group said tribes took in $97.1 million at their casinos in 2007. That's a drop of $3 million from 2006, when revenues also fell.
The Class III gaming compact limits each tribe to 250 slot machines. Non-Indian facilities have been allowed to expand their slot operations.
Get the Story:
Indian casino revenues fall
(AP 8/27)
The Seneca Nation says it will be “business as usual” at the tribe's off-reservation casino in Buffalo, New York.
The tribe is disappointed that a federal judge considers the Buffalo
Creek Casino to be illegal. But the National Indian Gaming Commission hasn't taken any steps to close the facility, which is operating in a temporary space while a permanent home is being constructed.
In a July
8 ruling, Judge William M. Skretny said the land used for the casino doesn't qualify for gaming under the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act. He reaffirmed that holding in a decision yesterday.
He said IGRA requires the NIGC to "take prompt action" against violations of the law. The agency hasn't decided how to proceed, a spokesperson said.
Get the Story:
Judge expresses frustration as slots keep running despite his ruling
(The Buffalo News 8/27)
"As director of planning and development, Cherokee is advancing in an extremely positive manner regarding existing and current retail expansion. Wal-Mart Corp. USA has just submitted a lease for Tribal Council approval to build a 157,000-square-feet super center on the Qualla Boundary. This would not be happening if everyone was only patronizing Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel, as Forsyth said.
In addition, a private development company is in the process of building an 80,000-square-feet major retail center along the U.S. 441 entrance corridor to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel complex. Sequoyah National Championship Golf Course is being constructed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and was designed by Robert Trent Jones II. It is scheduled to open next year and will rival any golf course in the region.
Also, according to Mary Jane Ferguson, director of tribal marketing and promotions division, Cherokee’s major cultural attractions have experienced a steady increase in visitor attendance this year. Due to adverse economic circumstances, this is not the case for other areas in our immediate region.
Combine all the aforementioned economic development activities with an extremely successful “blockbuster” stadium seat theatre, which opened only a few weeks ago and is the first of its kind in western North Carolina, and I would be inclined to take the opposing viewpoint about economic success in Cherokee."
Get the Story:
Mickey Duvall: Downtown Cherokee doing just fine, thank you
(The Cherokee Scout 8/27)
"Let's say you just lost your job. Naturally, the first thing you should do is bet everything you have at the local casino.
If that sounds recklessly stupid, it's just what Ohio has in mind for Wilmington.
The town of 12,000 will lose 10,000 jobs when DHL shuts down its Wilmington air-freight hub. So the rest of Ohio shakes its head and shrugs, "Oh well, at least they're getting a new casino."
People in Wilmington, reeling from the DHL shock waves, resent it. "If you get that casino, won't that help you?'" Mayor David Raizk says, paraphrasing the comments. "Not really."
Casino jobs could take years, while the DHL damage is now. "It diminishes the message of what's going on here."
Most in Ohio haven't read the fine print of the MyOhioNow casino plan by Lakes Entertainment of Minnesota that is heading for the Nov. 4 ballot. But Wilmington is inspecting every comma."
Get the Story:
Peter Bronson: They're getting a new casino, want it or not
(The Cincinnati Enquirer 8/27)
August 26, 2008
The city council in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is joining opposition to the casino sought by the Ponca Tribe.
The council supports a lawsuit filed by the state of Iowa against the National Indian Gaming Commission. The state says the NIGC's December
31, 2007, decision in favor of the casino is flawed.
The tribe wants to build the casino on 5 acres in the city of Carter Lake. The land was taken into trust after 1988 but the NIGC says it can be used for gaming because the Poncas are a restored tribe.
The state of Nebraska, where Class III gaming is not legal, is also suing the NIGC. The tribe's main headquarters are in Nebraska.
Get the Story:
Council: 'No' to tribal casino
(The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil 8/26)
The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York won't be suing its former gaming partner for an off-reservation casino.
The tribe said Empire Resorts breached its contract by pulling out of the project when it was rejected by the Bush administration. But Empire has agreed to pay the tribe $400,000 for development costs, attorneys fees and lobbying fees.
Empire is now planning a different gaming project at the site in the Catskills.
Get the Story:
Catskill Confidential: Empire, tribe part company peacefully
(The Middletown Times Herald-Republic 8/26)
Connecticut's tribal casino ventures are undergoing further reviews by Moody's Investors Service.
The Mohegan Tribe and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation were downgraded by Moody's in May. Now, two gaming ventures connected to the Mohegan Sun casino are facing a possible downgrade.
Four of the 19 gaming operations that are rated by Moody's have been downgraded since the beginning of the year. The Mohegan and Mashantucket casinos have seen dramatic drops in slot machine revenues.
Get the Story:
Moody's To Review Ratings Of Area Casinos
(The New London Day 8/26) Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianzcom
A judge in California has invalidated a casino agreement between the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the city of Richmond.
The tribe agreed to pay $335 million over 20 years for emergency services, roadwork and other impacts of a proposed casino. But Judge Barbara Zuniga said the city failed to conduct environmental reviews before signing the deal.
The tribe plans to acquire 30 acres outside of city limits for the casino. The Bureau of Indian Affairs completed the environmental impact statement in March.
Get the Story:
Richmond's deal with tribe on casino invalid, judge rules
(The Contra Costa Times 8/26)
The Seneca Nation of New York is expanding one of its off-reservation casinos.
The tribe will add 200 more rooms to the Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel in Niagara Falls. The project is expected to be complete in mid-2009.
The casino is located on land that was taken into trust following the passage of a land claims settlement act.
Another off-reservation facility, located in Buffalo, is the subject of pending litigation.
Get the Story:
Two Seneca Casino Sites Have Different Stories
(The Jamestown Post-Journal 8/26)
The commission in Cherokee County, Kansas, approved the Quapaw Tribe's plans to improve roads around its new casino.
The $301 million Downstream Casino Resort opened in July. It's located in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.
The tribe plans to improve roads on the Kansas side of the facility, where the parking lot is located. The gaming portion is located in Oklahoma.
Cherokee County has a lawsuit pending in federal court that challenges the acquisition of the land for the gaming portion.
Get the Story:
Okla. tribe's casino means road work in Mo., Kan.
(The Fort Mill TImes 8/26)
County gives tribe permission for road work (The Joplin Globe 8/26)
Cherokee County might be getting some free road improvements (KOAM 8/25)
|
