The 805 Class II gaming machines at the Lytton Band's casino in San Pablo are paying off handsomely for the tribe and the city.

The machines have attracted big crowds to the former card club that occupied the site. The popularity means big revenues for the city -- about $9 million in the first year of operation, far more than the $3 million the card club used to share. The money is being used to fund government services and projects.

The Lytton Band of Pomo Indians installed the machines after its Class III compact with the state failed to gain approval from state lawmakers. While not as lucrative as slot machines and the like, the devices are now pulling in $2 million a week.

The tribe acquired the 10-acre site in San Pablo under an act of Congress that backdated the acquisition in order to avoid a lengthy review under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) has sponsored a bill, backed by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), that would require the tribe to under IGRA review.

The bill passed the Senate Indian Affairs Committee by a close vote but Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) is trying to block it, The Contra Costa Times reported.

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City hits jackpot with bingo (The Contra Costa Times 2/21)
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