County won't join lawsuit against Ponca casino

Thursday, September 4, 2008  

The board of supervisors in Pottawattamie County, Iowa voted 4-0 on Wednesday to stay out of litigation over the casino sought by the Ponca Tribe.

The state of Iowa and the state of Nebraska already filed lawsuits to stop the casino. County officials said their interests are already represented by Iowa's so they decided not to join the fight.

The tribe plans to build a casino on 5 acres of trust land in the city of Carter Lake, in Pottawattmie County. The county is home to three commercial casinos.

The land was taken into trust after 1988 but it can be used for gaming because the Poncas are a restored tribe, the National Indian Gaming Commission said in a December 31, 2007, decision.

The tribe's headquarters are in Nebraska but Carter Lake is part of its Congressionally-defined service area.

Get the Story:
Pottawattamie Board Won't Join Casino Suit (WOWT 9/3)
Pott. County Won't File Suit Against Proposed Casino (KPTM 9/3)
Pottawattamie County won't join casino lawsuit (The Omaha World-Herald 9/3)
Tribe gambles on good will of officials with casino (The Omaha World-Herald 9/3)