Bill allows California tribes 2,000 slot machines

Friday, February 15, 2008  

California State Sen. Jim Battin, a Republican, has introduced legislation to allow tribes who signed compacts in 1999 to operate up to 2,000 slot machines.

The 1999 compacts with former governor Gray Davis (D) promised each tribe 2,000 machines, Battin said at the Western Indian Gaming Conference in Palm Springs yesterday. But the state Gambling Control Commission has imposed an overall cap of about 60,000 machines, meaning some tribes can't get to the 2,000 limit.

Some tribes have negotiated new compacts that bypass the 2,000 limit. Battin's bill would apply to about 50 tribes with 1999 compacts. Only about 15 tribes have expressed interest in having more machines, a Battin aide said.

Get the Story:
Bill would let tribes expand casinos without negotiation (Copley News Service 2/15)