The North Fork Rancheria of
Mono Indians won't drop its off-reservation casino even if voters reject the tribe's Class III gaming compact month, Vice Chair Maryann McGovran said.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has already placed the 305-acre gaming site in trust. The tribe can still develop the land without a compact in place.
"The voters of California will see us building something in a year. And those who vote no are gonna think hey, we thought we voted no to stop this," McGovran told KSFN.
A "yes" vote on Proposition
48 ratifies the North Fork Rancheria's Class III
gaming compact. It also ratifies a compact for the Wiyot Tribe, whose leaders agreed to
forgo a casino in exchange for a cut of revenues from the North Fork casino.
A "no" vote, on the other hand, blocks the compact on the state level. However, the
BIA has already approved the agreement and there is nothing that would prevent the tribe from signing another compact with the state.
"Prop 48 is just a delay," McGovran told KSFN. "It's a delay tactic put on by those that are opposing us the two tribes for competing reasons."
The Table
Mountain Rancheria and financial backers for the the Picayune Rancheria of the
Chukchansi Indians are leading the "no" campaign.
Both tribes operate casinos near the North Fork site and would presumably compete for the same gamblers.
Ironically, the Picayune Rancheria casino has been shut down due to a leadership dispute within the tribe.
Get the Story:
Breakdown of Prop 48, off-reservation casino debate
(KFSN 10/20)
$P California Court of Appeal Decision:
Picayune
Rancheria v. Brown (September 24, 2014)
Bureau of Indian Affairs Documents:
Press
Release | Fact
Sheet: North Fork Rancheria Decision | Section
20 Determination: North Fork Rancheria
Related Stories:
Rivals raise nearly $16M to block North
Fork Rancheria casino (10/20)