NIGC reviews status of Onedia Nation casino land

Monday, March 19, 2007  

The National Indian Gaming Commission is reviewing the legal status of the Oneida Nation's casino, The Albany Times-Union reports.

The Turning Stone Resort & Casino was built within the tribe's original reservation. But the land is not held in trust.

That doesn't necessarily mean the site doesn't meet the definition of "Indian land" under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. In other cases, the NIGC has ruled that fee land within a reservation, regardless of ownership, can be used for casinos. <>

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne sent a letter to New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) about the casino, a lawyer from the NIGC said.

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Casino's status under review (The Albany Times-Union 3/17)