"As Californians prepared to vote in the 2000 primary, they were assured that Proposition 1A, which changed the state Constitution to allow slot machines and other Nevada-style games on tribal lands, would produce only a modest increase in gambling � just scattered casinos in rural, even remote, parts of the state. The measure passed, as expected. Then came the explosion.

Native American tribes have opened 54 casinos jammed with as many as 60,000 slot machines. These gambling palaces take in an estimated $6 billion a year, though no one knows how much exactly because the tribes are considered sovereign nations, subject to minimal state regulation or taxation. The notion that these casinos are remote destinations has become laughable. From San Diego to Sacramento, casinos are increasingly besieging California's cities."

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No More Casinos (The Los Angeles Times 9/30)
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