Oct
31
2009
This week's headlines provided an interesting juxtaposition in the financial health of the Indian gaming industry. Is any of this indicative of a new trend?Florida Legislature Calls for NIGC to Shut Down Seminole Games
Oct
22
2009
Is it really a surprise that Florida is trying to shut down the Seminoles? After all, this is the state that infamously stonewalled the Seminoles' efforts to negotiate a Class III compact for nearly two decades. Florida's stance resulted in the Supreme Court's 1996 decision that "undid" IGRA's compromise of state and tribal authority. Florida's uncompromising (and arguably illegal, if unlitigable) position also resulted in the politicization of compact "negotiations" nationally. And so it goes in Florida to this very day.Indian Gaming in the Recession: Potawatomi Cutbacks
Oct
19
2009
The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe has one of the very few off-reservation casinos in the nation. It operates a casino in Milwaukee, and recently added a $240 million expansion, with estimated annual revenue of nearly $400 million -- a more than 9% increase in revenue over last year. Sounds good, right? But apparently it's not good enough -- the tribe's casino is feeling the recession and is making cutbacks.The casino's 2600 employees won't get merit raises or holiday bonuses, and will have to give up free meals in the cafeteria. Tribal members won't see as much in per capita payments this year, either. (Reportedly, each tribal member receives $70,000 from the successful casino operation.)
Here We Are at American University Washington College of Law
Oct
12
2009
Earlier today we were honored to give a presentation on Indian gaming at American University Washington College of Law, at the invitation of the law school's NALSA chapter. Over lunch, we talked about how tribal gaming is portrayed in popular culture and mainstream media. Coincidentally, last night as we flipped channels in the hotel, we came across a "Malcolm in the Middle" rerun on Nick @ Nite -- the episode where Francis and his wife, an Alaskan Native, "cash in" on her heritage by opening a casino in their home, part of which sits on reservation land. Sitcom writers apparently are unfamiliar with IGRA's requirement that only an "Indian tribe" may operate tribal gaming . . . Behind the Scenes at the Tulalip Casino
Oct
10
2009
In an earlier post, we gave the rundown on our "back of the house" tour of the hotel side of the beautiful Tulalip Resort Casino outside of Seattle. Here's what we learned during the casino side of the tour, which was led by Ken Kettler, the amiable president of the Tulalip Resort Casino.The "Octopus Murders" and Criminal Intrigue in California
Oct
4
2009
Charges were filed this past week in California against Jimmy Hughes, accused of conspiracy in the 1981 murders of a Cabazon Band of Mission Indians tribal leader, Fred Alvarez, and his friend and girlfriend. Allegedly, the murders were to stop the victims from revealing illegal activities on the reservation. Hughes is accused of pulling the trigger in the shooting deaths of the three victims.Hughes, who now (or perhaps up to now) runs Jimmy Hughes Ministries, was the security director for the Cabazon Band's bingo and casino enterprises until 1984. He was arrested at Miami International Airport as he was attempting to leave for Honduras, where his ministry provides social services to victims of domestic violence and drug addicts.
Tidbits from Tulalip: "Back of the House" Tour
Oct
1
2009
The good folks at the Tulalip Resort Casino shared a "back of the house" tour of both the hotel and casino sides of their operation. Here are some tidbits from our tour on the hotel side.Housekeeping: The hotel's housekeeping operation has a capacity to handle 1000 rooms, in line with plans for a second tower. The operation includes giant washers and driers, featuring the "Chicago Mangler," a huge, $1.2M machine that spreads, dries, irons, and folds -- feed in a wet sheet, and it comes out pressed and folded. We were treated to a fine view of the giant lint vat (the lint traps in housekeeping are, we're told, the number one hotel fire hazard).
