California communities go without as casino revenue fund dries up

Monday, February 8, 2016

A slot machine at the Eagle Mountain Casino, owned and operated by the Tule River Tribe in Porterville, California. Photo from Facebook

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The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund in California went dry last year, leaving communities without their expected share of tribal gaming revenues.

Communities in Tulare County have received $4 million from the fund since 2004, The Porterville Recorder reported. But no money was distributed last year and a spokesperson for the California Gambling Control Commission told the paper not to expect anything this year either.

“We’re trying to get an answer” of what happened to the fund, Porterville City Manager John Lollis told the paper.

Most of the problem can be traced to former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). He negotiated Class III compacts with some of the more successful tribes that redirected their revenues to the state's general fund, depleting the Indian gaming fund.

Gov. Jerry Brown (D) is signing new deals to restore the balance although the fund is not expected to recover entirely, according to the Recorder.

Get the Story:
Indian gaming grant funds dry up (The Porterville Recorder 2/5)

An Opinion:
Editorial: Indian gaming grants need to be restored (The Porterville Recorder 2/6)