Court fight looms over California gaming rules

Monday, September 15, 2008  

California attorney general Jerry Brown is prepared to defend the state's gaming rules even though he voted against them at a recent meeting.

The state Gambling Control Commission spent 18 months developing the minimum internal control standards (MICS). They cover just about every aspect of activity at a tribal casino.

Most tribes oppose the rules, saying they duplicate their own standards. They also say the rules must be negotiated through the Class III compacting process, as a federal appeals court said in October 2006.

Brown voted with the tribes at a recent meeting, saying he hopes a compromise can be reached. But he says he will stand by the MICS if tribes challenge them in court.

"We expressed an opinion as to whether they should do it. We didn't express an opinion as to its legality," Brown told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Surprise twist in casino rules (The San Diego Union-Tribune 9/15)