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Opinion: Tribal casinos not allowed under Idaho's Constitution

Monday, April 1, 2013



Grant Ipsen, the president of Stop Predatory Gambling, claims Class III gaming is illegal in Idaho, even in Indian Country:
Idaho's Constitution reads clearly: "No activity … shall employ any form of casino gambling including, but not limited to … slot machines."

Yet Idaho's tribes have slot machines despite our state Constitution - to which the tribes are subject under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This may be due, in part, to a referendum law the tribes pushed through in 2002, a law that baldly asserts that tribal slot machines are not slot machines. In 2003, Las Vegas-based Acres Gaming proudly announced an order for $3 million worth of "slot machines" from an Idaho tribe.

If we call a horse a cow, is it still a horse or is it a cow?

Get the Story:
Grant Ipsen: Idaho home to many unconstitutional slot machines (The Idaho Statesman Journal 3/31) Related Stories:
Poll: Support remains strong for tribal casino industry in Idaho (03/20)