"Yes, backers of a plan to put a tribal casino in downtown Lansing face tough odds. Still, the city should pursue the possibility.

Casinos are already in Michigan, with more than 20 tribal gaming operations across the state and three non-tribal casinos in Detroit.

Since gambling already is taking place in much of Michigan, pursuing a casino as economic development should be the decision of an individual community. Yet in 2004, state voters passed a constitutional amendment to protect the Detroit casinos by requiring any community wanting its own casino to win approval in a statewide vote.

So unless a successful ballot initiative challenges the 2004 amendment, the only course left for communities is the one Lansing is exploring: partnership with an Indian tribe."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Lansing casino proposal worth pursuing (The Lansing State Journal 1/25)

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