Navajo Nation casino compact fails to get vote in New Mexico

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Fire Rock Casino in Church Rock, New Mexico.

A new Class III gaming compact for the Navajo Nation never came up for a final vote in the New Mexico Legislature.

The Committee on Compacts approved the deal last week. But some lawmakers sought more time to review the agreement to consider potential impacts on tribes in their districts.

The “I just think it was too late in the session,” Sen. George Muñoz (D) told The Albuquerque Journal.

The tribe's current compact expires in 2015. The new one runs through 2037 and would require the tribe to share up to 10.75 percent of gaming revenues with the state.

The deal addresses other issues, such as "free play" and Internet gaming that could impact talks with other tribes.

Get the Story:
Navajos upset that pact didn’t get a vote (The Albuquerque Journal 3/19) Related Stories:
Lawmakers want more time on Navajo Nation casino compact (3/15)