California Tribal Business Alliance objects to gaming decisions

Thursday, September 15, 2011  

The California Tribal Business Alliance says other tribes should not seek casinos on land away from existing reservations.

The Enterprise Rancheria and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians won approval from the Obama administration for off-reservation casinos. But the CTBA says both tribes already have land that's eligible for gaming.

"To take distant land into trust just because it’s more commercially viable runs contrary to long-standing federal Indian policies and establishes a de facto policy for tribes and their financiers to establish reservations near population centers strictly for gaming," CTBA Chairman Robert Smith said in a statement.

CTBA consists of three tribes and one of them -- the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians -- opened an off-reservation casino on land that was acquired by a Congressional rider. A non-Indian gaming developer loaned the tribe $21 million to complete the land purchase.

Despite approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for their casino plans, the Enterprise Rancheria and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. still have to secure state approval.

Get the Story:
Tribal alliance responds to off-site casinos issue (The Sacramento Business Journal 9/14)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Good luck with off-reservation casinos in California (9/12)
Casino decisions meet opposition from other California tribes (9/8)
Echo Hawk issues casino decisions for three tribes in California (9/2)