Shoshone-Bannock Tribes face rumors of casino following land purchase

Thursday, February 13, 2020  

A recent land purchase by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes is stirring rumors of an off-reservation casino in Idaho.

The 157-acre site is located off a busy interstate near Mountain Home, KTVB reported. The property is nearly 200 miles from tribal headquarters in Fort Hall but the tribe hasn't made a decision on what to do with the land, the station said.

Generally, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act bars casinos on land acquired after 1988. But Section 20 of the law contains several exceptions, such as those for recently recognized tribes, tribes that were restored to federal recognition or tribes with land claim settlements.

Typically, the National Indian Gaming Commission, through what is known as an Indian lands opinion, determines whether a tribe meets one of the exceptions. On other occasions, the Bureau of Indian Affairs might be involved in making a determination.

Tribes that do not meet an exception can still pursue a casino through the two-part determination process. In this situation, IGRA requires approval not only from the BIA, but also from the state governor.

Two-part determinations are extremely rare. There haven't been any in Idaho in the 32-year history of IGRA.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes operate the Fort Hall Casino, the Bannock Peak Casino and the Sage Hill Casino. The facilities are located on the Fort Hall Reservation in southeastern Idaho.

Mountain Home is on the southwestern side of Idaho, about miles outside of Boise, the capital and most populous city in the state.

Is a casino coming to the Mountain Home area? (KTVB February 12, 2020)