BIA cancels disputed agreement for Fond du Lac Band casino

Wednesday, May 16, 2012  

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has canceled a gaming agreement between the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the city of Duluth, Minnesota.

The tribe agreed to share 19 percent of gross revenues from the Fond-du-Luth Casino with the city. The National Indian Gaming Commission ruled that the deal violated the National Indian Gaming Commission and the BIA followed up by canceling a lease between the two parties

“The Department of the Interior has determined that the lease agreements expressly prohibit the band’s trust lands from being used for an unlawful purpose and thus must be canceled. Our action ensures that activities on the band’s land comply with federal law," BIA spokesperson Nedra Darling told The Duluth News Tribune.

The city tried to get the NIGC and the BIA to hold off on taking action but was told it lacked standing.

Get the Story:
Interior Department calls Duluth's casino contract invalid (The Duluth News Tribune 5/16)

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Fond du Lac Band back in court over casino agreement (4/20)