New angle in feud over Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino

Wednesday, February 16, 2011  

A new lawsuit takes a different approach to the battle over the Tohono O'odham Nation off-reservation casino.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne says the tribe's plan violates Proposition 202, an Indian gaming referendum that voters approved in 2002. Horne says the tribe "both expressly and impliedly" promised not to open a casino in the Phoenix area, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.

The tribe is now planning to open a casino near Glendale, a city outside of Phoenix. Horne says the tribe "stated publicly that it intends to conduct gaming operations on the parcel as soon as it is in trust without seeking any determination that the land is eligible for gaming,"

The city of Glendale and the Gila River Indian Community have a separate case in federal court that seeks to stop the Bureau of Indian Affairs from taking the Tohono O'odham Nation's land in trust. A hearing will take place tomorrow.

Get the Story:
Arizona Fights Tribe Over New Casino (Courthouse News Service 2/16)
AG, Gila River community sue to stop Glendale casino (The Arizona Republic 2/16)

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