Spending on California compacts tops $100M

Tuesday, January 22, 2008  

Supporters and opponents of four Class III gaming compacts have spent more than $100 million to influence California voters.

Propositions 94 through 97 are on the February 5 ballot. They ask voters to support of compacts for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.

The deals allow the tribes to add up to 17,000 slot machines at their casinos. Currently, the tribes are each limited to about 2,000 machines.

The state will get a share of the revenues -- estimated to be about $200 million in the next few years and in the low- to mid-hundreds of millions of dollars after that. The compacts expire in 2030.

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Propositions:Voters to expand or hold the line on Indian gaming (MediaNews 1/22)