"Six years after the first official gaming compacts were approved between the state and Indian tribes, it has finally occurred to California officials that the state got the worst of it in those deals.

The compacts legalized dozens of tribal casinos and authorized construction of dozens more, thanks to voters' approval of two ballot measures that set the stage for legalized gambling on tribal lands.

But voters got little in return - other than the ability to drive shorter distances to gamble, and a glitzier, more Las Vegas-like atmosphere in which to put their money on the line. For the most part, tribes play by their own rules - thanks to their sovereign status - often to the ever-lasting chagrin of their neighbors."

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Better odds on dealings with tribes (The Santa Maria Times 6/20)