Mississippi governor opposes Choctaw off-reservation casino

Monday, June 27, 2011  

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians hasn't revived plans for an off-reservation casino but Gov. Haley Barbour (R) is already saying it's "not going to happen."

The tribe already has 40 acres off the reservation in trust and submitted a land-into-trust application for an additional 61 acres in hopes of building a casino. The land is in Jackson County, on the Gulf Coast.

The Bush administration rejected the proposal under a 2008 "guidance memo" that made it nearly impossible for tribes to acquire land away from existing reservations. But now that Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk has rescinded the policy, the media is talking about the casino again.

"The citizens of Jackson County have voted against having casino gaming," Barbour told The Mississippi Press. "In Mississippi, that should dispose of the issue. I have consistently opposed any expansion of gaming beyond the counties where they have it now."

Get the Story:
Choctaw Casino in Jackson County: 'That's not going to happen' (The Mississippi Press 6/27)

Related Stories:
Tribes hopeful with reversal on off-reservation gaming policy (6/15)
Echo Hawk pulls controversial off-reservation gaming memo (6/14)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
BIA starts new year with off-reservation gaming policy (1/7)
Rejected tribes want casinos too far from reservations (1/7)