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Indianz.Com is happy to introduce our latest feature: Casino Stalker!
Built on Google Maps technology, Casino Stalker is an ongoing project that will track casino proposals, gaming land acquisitions and other gaming projects in Indian Country.
Casino Stalker is getting off the ground with listings for proposed casinos in California, New Mexico, Wisconsin and New York. More sites will be added in the future. Additions, corrections and other information are welcome.
According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, more than 40 tribes are seeking to acquire land for gaming purposes. Some applications have been pending for several years as controversy over off-reservation casinos has festered.
The Senate and the House are now considering legislation that would make it harder to acquire land for casinos. The Senate's version imposes an April 15 cut-off date on certain types of acquisitions, prompting more than a dozen tribes to submit applications.
So far, only one of the new applications -- the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is seeking land more than 200 miles from its reservation -- is posted on Casino Stalker. Others are being added as accurate information comes in.
To be included in Casino Stalker, the proposal should have been submitted to the BIA through the land-into-trust process. Each listing will provide as much information -- such as the location of
the acquisition, the date of the application, the availability of environmental impact statements -- as possible.
Land determinations that are under review or have been reviewed by the National Indian Gaming Commission will also be accepted.
Proposals where tribes have not submitted formal applications or where gaming is only rumored will not be posted on Casino Stalker.
Legislation will be considered if the proposal affects the tribe's gaming rights. The Lytton Band bill, for example, was the first added due to the history of the tribe's site in the Bay Area.
Land acquisitions that failed, such as the Lower Lake Rancheria Koi Nation's casino near the Oakland International Airport, are included only if the tribe actually started the process.
Most on-reservation acquisitions won't be included unless they raise legal issues or require some form of federal action. The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe of Nevada was posted because the BIA is preparing an environmental impact statement for the tribe's proposed casino.
To submit a site for inclusion on Casino Stalker, include as much information as possible. At the
minimum, the location of the acquisition and evidence of a formal application is required.
Evidence of a formal application can include statements made by the tribe about its proposal.
For those experienced with Google Maps, an exact location -- either in the form of a street address or latitude/longitude coordinates --will be appreciated.
Indianz.Com expects that some of the information posted on Casino Stalker may need to be updated or changed. Send an e-mail to indianz at indianz.com with your updates, suggestions
and more!
Enter
Casino Stalker.
NIGA Resolutions:
Section
20 |
IGRA
Amendments
Draft BIA Regulations:
Gaming on
Lands Acquired After October 17, 1998 (From BIA Tribal Consultation Site)
Relevant Documents:
Kevin Gover
Testimony |
Aurene
Martin Testimony |
Title
25 CFR Part 151 Land-into-Trust Process |
Section 20
of IGRA |
GAO
Report
Pombo IGRA Bill:
To
amend section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to restrict off-reservation
gaming (H.R.4893)
McCain IGRA Bill:
Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act Amendments of 2005 (S.2078)
Relevant Links:
Senate Indian Affairs Committee -
http://indian.senate.govNIGC
Indian Land Determinations -
http://www.nigc.gov/nigc/nigcControl?option=LAND_DETERMINATIONS
National Indian Gaming Association -
http://www.indiangaming.org
