The California Tribal Business Alliance says other tribes should not seek casinos on land away from existing reservations.
The Enterprise Rancheria and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians won approval from the Obama administration for off-reservation casinos. But the CTBA says both tribes already have land that's eligible for gaming. "To take distant land into trust just because it’s more commercially viable runs contrary to long-standing federal Indian policies and establishes a de facto policy for tribes and their financiers to establish reservations near population centers strictly for gaming," CTBA Chairman Robert Smith said in a statement. CTBA consists of three tribes and one of them -- the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians -- opened an off-reservation casino on land that was acquired by a Congressional rider. A non-Indian gaming developer loaned the tribe $21 million to complete the land purchase. Despite approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for their casino plans, the Enterprise Rancheria and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. still have to secure state approval. Get the Story: