Mississippi Choctaws face long wait on casino plan

Tuesday, June 20, 2006  

It could take the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians several years to gain approval for a casino more than 200 miles from its reservation.

The tribe must obtain local, state and federal approval to acquire 100 acres in Ocean Springs for gaming. The land is located near Interstate 57.

The tribe already started the process by submitting a land-into-trust application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A Jackson Country referendum in 2008 is the next step before seeking a gaming compact with the state.

Even if those hurdles are cleared, the tribe has to wait for the BIA to agree to take the land into trust. But that will only happen if the state governor concurs with the decision.

This two-part determination process has only been successfully utilized three times since the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

Get the Story:
Choctaw plan for coast casino faces hurdles for approval (The Mississippi Press 6/19)