A state lawmaker says the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians should not be able to open a casino in Indiana.

Rep. Scott Pelath (D), the assistant House Democratic leader, said Indiana's gaming market is already saturated. He's asking the Bureau of Indian Affairs to reject the tribe's land-into-trust application.

"This proposed federal action will expand gaming beyond the locations that our state has authorized," Pelath told The Northwest Indiana Times. "Instead, we will have gaming operations that are not subject to any consideration of what is best for Indiana."

The tribe submitted a land-into-trust application for 146 acres near South Bend. Plans include a Class III gaming facility with a hotel.

Get the Story:
Lawmaker asks feds to not allow South Bend tribal casino (The Northwest Indiana Times 10/10)

Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Pokagon Band Tribal Village Fee-to-Trust Acquisition and Casino Project in the City of South Bend, St. Joseph County, IN (August 24, 2012)

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