Off-reservation gaming compacts fail to pass

Thursday, September 13, 2007  

California lawmakers ended their 2007 legislative session without approving compacts for two off-reservation casinos.

The Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians wanted to open side-by-side casinos in Barstow. But other gaming tribes opposed the proposal, saying neither tribe had ties to the area.

The Big Lagoon Rancheria is more than 700 miles from the casino site. The Los Coyotes Band is over 100 miles away.

The Big Lagoon Rancheria says it will try to open a casino on its environmentally sensitive reservation. The Barstow project was seen as a way to avoid this scenario.

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Barstow casino compacts fail to pass state legislature (The Desert Dispatch 9/12)