City passes resolution againt Ponca Tribe's casino

Tuesday, September 9, 2008  

The city council in Council Bluffs, Iowa, passed a resolution in opposition to the casino sought by the Ponca Tribe.

Officials said the tribe's casino will hurt three commercial casinos in the city. "We have over 4,000 people employed in the industry here," Mayor Tom Hanafan said, WOWT-TV reported. "They also pay a lot of property taxes, not only to the city but also to the county. They also put a lot of income tax into the area."

The tribe plans to build a casino in Carter Lake, just across the river from Council Bluffs. A five-acre site held in trust for the tribe can be used for a casino, the National Indian Gaming Commission said in a December 31, 2007, decision.

The state of Iowa and the state of Nebraska are suing the NIGC over the decision.

Get the Story:
Casino Plan Opposed (WOWT 9/8)
Bluffs joins 2 suits against Ponca casino plan (The Omaha World-Herald 9/8)