Members of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York are split on plans to pursue an off-reservation casino.
The tribe held a referendum on Sunday to ask members about the proposed Catskills casino. The project was rejected by a 178 to 140 vote. The tribe has been seeking a casino in the Catskills, about 90 minutes north of New York City, for more than a decade. The Bush administration rejected the project in January 2008 under a new policy that makes it nearly impossible for tribes to acquire land away from existing reservations. Tribal leaders hope the Obama administration adopts a new policy that will favor off-reservation development. Get the Story: