NIGC accused of 'ducking' casino land issue in N.Y.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004  

A New York lawmaker is accusing the National Indian Gaming Commission of "ducking" a ruling on whether an Oklahoma tribe has gaming rights in the state.

Last May, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, a Republican, asked NIGC chairman Phil Hogen to determine whether the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma has authority to conduct gaming on ancestral land in New York. An NIGC spokesperson said the matter is still being reviewed by Boehlert says the agency has done little.

A federal judge is considering the status of the tribe's land but has yet to make a ruling. According to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, gaming is allowed only on lands over which a tribe exercises governmental jurisdiction.

The tribe is proposing a Class II bingo hall on land in the town of Aurelius. Town leaders oppose the project but the tribe is hoping for an out-of-court settlement that would benefit the town.

Get the Story:
Aurelius bingo hall ruling still awaited (The Syracuse Post-Standard 3/22)
Lawyer says tribe still optimistic (The Syracuse Post-Standard 3/23)