Opinion: Tribal casinos not allowed under Idaho's Constitution



Grant Ipsen, the president of Stop Predatory Gambling, claims Class III gaming is illegal in Idaho, even in Indian Country:
Idaho's Constitution reads clearly: "No activity … shall employ any form of casino gambling including, but not limited to … slot machines."

Yet Idaho's tribes have slot machines despite our state Constitution - to which the tribes are subject under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This may be due, in part, to a referendum law the tribes pushed through in 2002, a law that baldly asserts that tribal slot machines are not slot machines. In 2003, Las Vegas-based Acres Gaming proudly announced an order for $3 million worth of "slot machines" from an Idaho tribe.

If we call a horse a cow, is it still a horse or is it a cow?

Get the Story:
Grant Ipsen: Idaho home to many unconstitutional slot machines (The Idaho Statesman Journal 3/31)

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Poll: Support remains strong for tribal casino industry in Idaho (03/20)

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