Indian Gaming > White House contender shifts stance on gaming

February 12, 2007

White House contender shifts stance on gaming

When he was running for U.S. Senate in 1994, Mitt Romney said he would support a casino sought by the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Massachussets.

But more than a decade later, Romney has changed his mind. As governor of Massachusetts, he opposed efforts to legalize Class III gaming and as a presidential contender, he even opposes casinos on reservations, according to information posted by The Salt Lake Tribune.

The shift puts Romney more in line with positions of the Mormon Church. As he embarks on his campaign, he faces questions about his ability to stand independent from his religion, which teaches that Native people descend from a "lost" Jewish tribe. The church also placed 20,000 Native children, mostly Navajos, in Mormon homes for 50 years.

Get the Story:
Mitt Romney and the LDS Church (The Salt Lake Tribune 2/10)
Romney tackling issue of his religion head-on (New York Times News Service 2/9)