Casino Hollywood at San Felipe Pueblo in New Mexico. Photo from Facebook
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New Mexico tribes are raising concerns about a bill that seeks to treat non-Indian racetracks in a manner similar to their casinos.
Five tribes have negotiated a new Class III gaming compact that addresses credit, free play and other operational issues. Senate Bill 706 would extend similar provisions to the tracks but it's facing opposition in Indian Country.
“It was supposed to be a parity bill. We’re just feeling it goes a little beyond that,” Debra Haaland, the administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, told The Albuquerque Journal.
Not all tribes have signed the new compact because their existing agreement run through 2037. But they have the option of doing so.
Of the five tribes that did sign the compact, four have agreements that expire in June.
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(The Albuquerque Journal 3/6)
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