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Editorial: Worthy lawsuit on Seminole compact (12/24)

"As a rule, it is futile and wasteful for one government agency to sue another. A worthy exception is Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum suing to stop the U.S. Department of the Interior from formalizing...

BIA faces deadline to approve Seminole compact (12/21)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has until December 29 to approve or deny the Class III gaming compact for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The fast-approaching deadline prompted Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum to file...

Florida AG sues to stop Seminole compact (12/20)

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum sued the Bush administration today to stop review of the Seminole Tribe's Class III gaming compact. The compact has been sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for approval. McCollum...

Editorial: Seminole compact needs more review (12/14)

"With state coffers shortchanged, Gov. Charlie Crist was smart to negotiate a gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe. The wisdom of that effort, however, doesn't negate the need for a proper vetting of the...

Florida lawmakers say they can negotiate compact (12/12)

Florida lawmakers say they can negotiate a Class III gaming compact directly with the Seminole Tribe. The Senate's legal counsel says nothing in federal law authorizes Gov. Charlie Crist (R) as the sole negotiator. Crist...

Bad River Band to join land-into-trust suit (12/11)

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa plans to join a lawsuit over on off-reservation casino in Wisconsin. The St. Croix Band of Lake Superior Chippewa filed the suit on Friday. It accuses the...

Florida court delays Seminole compact lawsuit (12/10)

The Florida Supreme Court unexpectedly delayed a hearing over the Seminole Tribe's lawsuit. The court was due to hear oral arguments on Wednesday. But they have been pushed back to January 30, 2008. Florida Republicans...

Oklahoma court determines games are Class III (12/05)

An Oklahoma court has determined that two casino machines manufactured by Multimedia Games (MGAM) are Class III machines. Judge Noma Gurich in Oklahoma County said her determinations on MegaNanza and Reel Time Bingo are not...

Navajo Nation faces suit over casino legislation (12/05)

The Navajo Nation is facing a lawsuit over its first casino. Lawyer James Zion plans to sue on behalf of tribal members who are challenging legislation that authorized the tribe to secure a $100 million...

5th Circuit won't rehear Class III procedures case (12/04)

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to reconsider its ruling that invalidated the Interior Department's authority to issue Class III secretarial procedures. In August, a three-judge panel of the court blocked Interior from...

Florida court to hear Seminole compact lawsuit (12/04)

The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments December 12 on a lawsuit that challenges the ability of Gov. Charlie Crist (R) to sign a Class III gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe. Crist...

Judge won't stop gaming compact referendum (11/28)

A judge in California said a voter referendum on the gaming compact for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians can go forward. The tribe sued in state court to stop the February 5,...

Gov. Schwarzenegger jumps into compact fight (11/21)

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) filed a brief in a case that seeks to halt a February 2008 vote on four Class III gaming compacts. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians sued to...

Judge dismisses suit over Nooksack casino (11/20)

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the legality of the Nooksack Tribe's new casino in Washington. A group called the North County Community Alliance sued to block the opening of the...

Florida threatens suit over Class III procedures (11/08)

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said he will sue the Interior Department if it issues Class III procedures for the Seminole Tribe. McCollum cited a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that invalidated the...

Passamaquoddy Tribe loses racino vote (11/07)

The Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine won't be able to open a racino in Washington County, according to results of a statewide vote on Tuesday. News reports said voters narrowly rejected the racino. With more...

Editorial: Wisconsin tribes deserve an answer (11/06)

"The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York also has a favorable recommendation. And it has the strong support of New York officials, including Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Still, the feds sit on their hands....

Court opens Choctaw Nation to casino injury suit (11/06)

The Choctaw Nation can be sued for an accident at its casino, the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals ruled on October 25. Under its Class III compact with the state, the tribe waived its...

State claims Ho-Chunk Nation owes $72M for compact (11/02)

The state of Wisconsin claims the Ho-Chunk Nation owes $72 million under a disputed Class III gaming compact. The state and the tribe signed a compact that authorized more Class III games in exchange for...

Shinnecock Nation to appeal gaming ruling (11/01)

The Shinnecock Nation of New York plans to appeal a judge's decision that blocks the tribe from opening a gaming facility on ancestral territory. The tribe began preliminary work for a casino on a 79-acre...

Harrah's faces $2.8B judgment in Mohawk court (10/30)

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York is seeking to collect a $2.8 billion judgment against the world's largest gaming company. The tribe's court ordered Park Place Entertainment to pay $1.8 billion for interfering...

Disbarred lawyer pleads in casino funds case (10/30)

A disbarred lawyer pleaded not guilty in connection with the transfer of nearly $500,000 from a tribal casino. Christopher Moen is accused of failing to file campaign finance reports. State prosecutors say he used money...

Appeals court opens Choctaw Nation to casino suit (10/26)

The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on Thursday said the Choctaw Nation waived sovereign immunity under its gaming compact with the state. Danny Dye says he was injured in an accident at the Choctaw Casino...

State to continue Wyandotte Nation casino fight (10/26)

The state of Kansas said it would continue its fight against the Wyandotte Nation's off-reservation casino despite losing in court. The state has been trying to stop the Oklahoma-based tribe from acquiring land for a...

State loses challenge to Wyandotte casino (10/25)

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday dismissed the state of Kansas' challenge to the Wyandotte Nation's proposed casino. The court said it lacked jurisdiction to hear the case because the land where...

Rosebud Sioux Tribe wins gaming contract case (10/25)

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is owed more than $525,000 from its former gaming management partner, a tribal judge ruled. The tribe signed a management contract with BBC Entertainment in 1994. BBC was...

Gun Lake Band optimistic on land for casino (10/22)

Ed. Note: The Gun Lake casino was incorrectly referred to as the Four Winds Casino, which is owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, in an earlier version of the post. The correct name...

Good Morning America to air casino suit segment (10/22)

The ABC show "Good Morning America" will air a segment about a lawsuit against a New Mexico tribe, The Albuquerque Journal reports. Gary Hoffman, a non-Indian, is suing Sandia Pueblo over a "jackpot" of...

Appeals court hears gaming land-into-trust case (10/19)

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will be hearing oral arguments on Friday in a gaming land-into-trust case. A group called Michigan Gambling Opposition wants to block the Interior Department from acquiring 147 acres in...

Sandia Pueblo fights suit over $1.6M 'jackpot' (10/17)

Sandia Pueblo in New Mexico is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a man who claims he won a $1.6 million jackpot at the tribe's casino. Gary Hoffman said he won the money on...

Prairie Band can't intervene in gaming case (10/12)

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation of Kansas won't be allowed to intervene as a party in a lawsuit that challenges the state's new gaming law. The tribe opposes the law, which authorizes state-run casinos. But...

Supreme Court won't hear Catawba gaming case (10/02)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused the Catawba Nation's gaming case against the state of South Carolina. Without comment, the justices let stand state Supreme Court decision that bars the tribe from operating video...

Pojoaque Pueblo in dispute with former worker (09/26)

Pojoaque Pueblo in New Mexico is trying to prevent a former casino employee from collecting damages for alleged retaliation. The tribe fired David Martinez and revoked his gaming license in January. The tribe's gaming commission...

10th Circuit rejects appeal in UKB Indian lands case (09/07)

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday dismissed the state of Oklahoma's appeal in an Indian lands case involving the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. The UKB opened a casino in Tahlqeuah but...

D.C. Circuit to hear Gun Lake land-into-trust case (08/31)

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on October 19 on the Gun Lake Tribe's land-into-trust case. The tribe, also known as the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, wants 147 acres placed...

NIGC: 'No comment' on losing Soo Tribe casino case (08/30)

The National Indian Gaming Commission isn't talking after losing a case that allows the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe to open a $41 million casino in Michigan. The NIGC stopped the tribe from opening the Kewadin...

Casino firm fights Cheyenne-Arapaho takeover (08/28)

A gaming management company is suing leaders of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, accusing them of an illegal casino takeover. Gov. Darrell Flyingman took control of the tribe's Lucky Star Casinos on August 19. He...

Sandia Pueblo casino sued over unpaid 'jackpot' (08/28)

A New Mexico man says Sandia Pueblo owes him $1.6 million for a "jackpot" he won at the tribe's casino. Gary Hoffman was playing a nickel slot machine on August 16, 2006, when he thought...

Texas cheers ruling against Kickapoo gaming (08/21)

Officials in Texas praised a federal court ruling that blocks the Kickapoo Tribe from Class III gaming without a state compact. The state has refused to negotiate a compact. The Interior Department said it would...

Rincon Band compares state's demand to 'tax' (08/14)

The Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians and the state of California argued in court on Monday over negotiations for a new gaming compact. The tribe wants to add more slot machines to its casino....

Rincon Band files suit over compact negotiations (08/13)

The Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians is accusing California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) of negotiating in bad faith. The tribe wants to add more slot machines at its casino. But the state is demanding...

Court bars suit under California gaming compact (08/07)

A California appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit against the Barona Band of Mission Indians. The tribe's Class III gaming compact contains a limited waiver of immunity. Casino patrons may pursue negligence claims to the...

Catawba Nation takes gaming to Supreme Court (07/20)

The Catawba Nation of South Carolina is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review its Indian gaming case. The tribe wants to operate video poker on the reservation. But the state Supreme Court said the...

Two indicted in Leech Lake gaming bribery scheme (07/20)

Two Minnesota men were indicted on Thursday in connection with an Indian gaming bribery scheme on the Leech Lake Ojibwe Reservation. Craig Keith Potts is accused of his using his former ATM, credit card and...

Judge orders Indian land determination on casino (07/18)

Citing an administrative record "lacking in substance," a federal judge in Oklahoma today ordered the Interior Department and the National Indian Gaming Commission to determine whether land owned by the Chickasaw Nation qualifies for gaming....

Court backs Mashantucket casino in Pennsylvania (07/18)

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation's proposed casino in Philadelphia. The tribe is working with a group of investors to open a Foxwoods casino in South...

Group battles off-reservation Seneca casino (07/10)

An anti-gaming group plans to ask a federal court to shut down the Seneca Nation's off-reservation casino in Buffalo, New York. The tribe opened a temporary casino last week. But Citizens for a Better Buffalo...

County continues to back Cowlitz Tribe deal (06/27)

Commissioners in Clark County in Washington continue to back a casino agreement with the Cowlitz Tribe. The county signed a memorandum of understanding with the tribe. But a state hearing board invalidated the MOU last...

Oneida Nation sued over casino construction work (06/05)

The Oneida Nation of New York is being sued for allegedly failing to pay a construction company for work at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino. The tribe hired Hunt Construction Co., of Indiana, to...

Party drops out of St. Regis Mohawk casino suit (05/22)

The Sullivan County Farm Bureau has pulled out of a lawsuit challenging the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's proposed casino in the Catskills of New York. The Farm Bureau joined the National Resource Defense Council and...

Ione Band to drop legal fight over casino agreement (05/17)

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians will probably drop its fight to preserve an agreement for a proposed casino in Amador County, Vice Chairman Gil Jamerson said. The tribe signed a municipal services agreement with...

Judge won't reverse stance on Seneca casino land (04/23)

A federal judge refused to overturn his ruling that called into question the legal status of the Seneca Nation's proposed off-reservation casino site in Buffalo, New York. In January, Judge William M. Skretny rebuked the...

Seminole Tribe, former partner dismiss lawsuits (04/18)

The Seminole Tribe of Florida and a former gaming partner have ended their court battle. The battle started when the tribe tried to break a casino agreement with The Cordish Co and Power Plant Entertainment....

Column: Dorsey & Whitney loses ethics case (04/10)

"Dorsey & Whitney failed to tell a corporate client that it may have given bad advice, even after it recognized the problem, a federal judge ruled Monday in a legal-ethics case that has Twin Cities...

Judge rejects Eastern Shawnee casino agreements (04/04)

A federal judge has refused to approve agreements the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma signed with communities in Ohio. Judge James G. Carr said the agreements give the appearance that the tribe is settling its...

County sues to stop Ione Band casino proposal (03/30)

Amador County, California, has filed suit against the Interior Department in hopes of stopping the Ione Band of Miwok Indians from opening a casino. The county says the Ione Band doesn't qualify for an...

Prairie Band Potawatomi to challenge gaming law (03/30)

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation of Kansas says it will challenge a bill that would expand gaming in the state. The tribe operates the largest casino in Kansas. Chairwoman Tracy Stanhoff said there isn't...

Shingle Springs Band sued by former partner (03/28)

The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians has been sued for breach of contract by its former gaming partner. The tribe was working with Sharp Image Gaming Inc. to open a casino in the late...

Cheyenne-Arapaho rules on use of casino revenue (03/27)

The Supreme Court of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma has ruled that Gov. Darrell Flyingman has control of tribal gaming revenues. The court ordered treasurer Robert Wilson to turn over the money to the governor....

udge dismisses San Pasqual Band slot machine case (03/23)

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the San Pasqual Band Of Mission Indians over the number of slot machines allowed under the tribe's compact with the state of California. The judge said the...

Wyandotte Nation prepares to reopen Kansas casino (03/22)

The Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma is preparing to reopen a casino in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. The tribe owns a small piece of land in the city. It is held in trust but the...

County sues DOI over Indian land determination (03/22)

Amador County in California has filed suit against the Interior Department to challenge the Indian lands determination for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians. When he was serving as Interior's solicitor for Indian affairs, Carl...

Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe sues over compact (03/21)

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has sued South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) over the failure to negotiate a new gaming compact. The tribe, along with others, wants a new deal to increase the number...

Catawba Nation vows fight over video poker (03/20)

The Catawba Nation plans to appeal a South Carolina Supreme Court decision that blocks the tribe from offering poker on the reservation. The tribe sought to operate poker under the terms of its 1993 settlement...

Judge issues stay on Gun Lake land-into-trust (03/06)

A federal judge issued a stay against the Bureau of Indian Affairs on Monday, preventing the agency from acquiring land for the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians in Michigan. The BIA was set to take...

I. Nelson Rose: A tribal casino is just a casino (02/28)

"The most important federal Court of Appeals below the U.S. Supreme Court has declared that, at least for labor law, tribal casinos are to be treated exactly the same as casinos that are owned by...

Court opens tribal casinos to lawsuits in state court (02/27)

Tribal casinos can be sued in state court for personal injury lawsuits, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled. The court said the tribal-state compact created concurrent state and tribal jurisdiction over personal injury actions. And...

Union seeks to organize at Seneca Nation casino (02/14)

A union that has been trying to organize at the Seneca Nation's casino in Niagara Falls, New York, praised a court ruling that subjects tribes to federal labor law. Frank C. DeRiso, the president of...

Groups sue BIA over off-reservation casino (02/14)

$stalker Opponents of an off-reservation casino in New York sued the Bureau of Indian Affairs over alleged deficiencies in the environmental review of the project. The BIA approved the casino for the St. Regis Mohawk...

Connecticut tribes could face union push after ruling (02/13)

Connecticut could become the new battleground for labor unions at casinos after an appeals court ruling subjected tribes to federal labor law. In the past, unions have tried to organize at Foxwoods Resort Casino, owned...

NIGA criticizes ruling on tribes and federal labor law (02/13)

The National Indian Gaming Association is denouncing an appeals court ruling that subjects tribes to federal labor law. NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. said the decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals creates a...

New Jersey tribe not shy about plans for 'sin city' (02/07)

The Unalachtigo Band of the Nanticoke Lenni Lenape Nation is suing the state of New Jersey in hopes of getting land for casinos. The tribe claims the state illegally sold a 3,400-acre reservation in...

First Nations casino hit for laying off non-Natives (02/02)

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority has been ordered to pay more than $72,000 to four non-Natives who were fired from a First Nations casino. SIGA laid off the four pit bosses at the Northern Lights...

South Carolina court hears Catawba Nation case (01/18)

The South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in the Catawba Nation's video poker case. The tribe was recognized by a special act of Congress that settled its land claim. The 1993 law...

Seminole Tribe goes to court over slot machines (01/17)

The Seminole Tribe of Florida filed a lawsuit against the Interior Department in hopes of receiving approval to operate slot machines. The tribe has the right to offer the machines after state voters legalized them....

Court to hear Catawba Nation video poker case (01/15)

The Catawba Nation of South Carolina goes to court on Wednesday to argue for its right to offer video poker on the reservation. The tribe falls under a special act of Congress that settled its...

New Jersey tribe eyes big casino development (01/02)

An unrecognized New Jersey tribe says it will settle its land claim against the state in exchange for gaming rights. The Unalachtigo Band of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation wants to build a Vegas-like strip on...

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