Litigation

Poarch Creeks meet for mediation session in casino tax dispute

Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Wind Casino and Hotel in Atmore, Alabama. Photo from Facebook

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians and Escambia County, Alabama, remain locked in a casino tax dispute.

The tribe won a ruling that prevents tax Assessor James H. Hildreth from imposing an estimated $22.3 million in taxes from the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel in Atmore. But rather than accept the outcome, Hildreth is taking the case to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The court ordered mediation but nothing substantive came of the session on Tuesday, The Atmore Advance reported. The tribe remains confident it will eventually prevail because the 11th Circuit recently prevented the state from challenging the legality of the trust land being used for its casinos.

Additionally, the 11th Circuit struck down a tax being imposed on a casino owned by the Seminole Tribe in neighboring Florida.

Get the Story:
PCI, Escambia County meet in mediation (The Atmore Advance 9/30)
Poarch Creeks still fighting legal battles (The Montgomery Advertiser 9/30)

11th Circuit Decisions:
Alabama v. PCI Gaming Authority (September 3, 2015)
Seminole Tribe v. Stranburg (August 26, 2015)