California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has until August 31 to decide on two off-reservation casino projects.
The Enterprise Rancheria and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians each won approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Under the two-part determination section of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Brown has authority to reject the projects. Other tribes are against the casinos. At least one opposing tribe -- the United Auburn Indian Community -- opened a gaming facility under a provision in IGRA that didn't require the governor's approval. Since 1988, only three governors have approved off-reservation casinos under the two-part determination section. A fourth governor, in New York, backed an off-reservation casino but the Bush administration ended up killing it. Get the Story: