Washington bill affects off-reservation casinos

Friday, January 27, 2006  

Off-reservation casinos in Washington would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature under a new bill introduced by a state senator.

Sen. Margarita Prentice, a Democrat, said lawmakers need a say after the Spokane Tribe proposed an off-reservation casino. Rep. John McCoy, a Democrat and member of the Tulalip Tribes, is supporting the bill.

But McCoy said off-reservation casinos, despite being controversial, are not a problem. He said such casinos have won approval only a handful of times.

"The original process is not broken," he told the Associated Press. "As long as you keep everybody behaving themselves within the system, it works."

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Senator wants another hurdle for off-reservation gambling (AP 1/26)