A provision in a deal to prevent a New Mexico county from opposing an off-reservation casino is probably illegal, state attorney general Patricia Madrid said in an advisory letter.

In the letter [Text], Madrid said the proposed deal between Jemez Pueblo and Dona Ana County cannot "bind" future counties from opposing the casino. She said the language would "likely" be found illegal by the courts.

The tribe is based in northern New Mexico, nearly 300 miles away from the proposed site in Dona Any County. The Mescalero Apache Nation and the Tigua Tribe in nearby El Paso, Texas, operate gaming establishments in the area. A non-Indian racetrack is also nearby.

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AG: Deal on Casino Probably Is Illegal (The Albuquerque Journal 4/21)