Indian Gaming Now

Political

Student Guest Blog Post: Jones County, MS Tribal Gaming Proposal

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Jun 28 2010
As part of Kathryn's Indian Gaming Law course at UND School of Law this summer, law students have the opportunity to post as guest bloggers.  Today's post is by second-year law student Stephen Larson:

Various interests groups have voiced opposition to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ new casino gaming operation proposal in the Jones County community of Sandersville, MS.
 

Steve Presents at Seattle University Symposium on Land Acquisitions

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Jun 23 2010
Steve presented at Perspectives on Tribal Land Acquisition in 2010: A Call to Action, a symposium sponsored by the Center for Indian Law and Policy at Seattle University School of Law.

NIGC Chair Nominee Announced

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 30 2010
President Obama has announced his nominee to chair the National Indian Gaming Commission.  Tracie Stevens, an enrolled member of the Tulalip Tribe in Washington state, has been serving as senior adviser to Larry EchoHawk, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.

If confirmed, Stevens would fill out the three-member NIGC, which has been operating in a time of transition during the entire Obama administration.

Crist Signs Compact with Seminoles in Florida

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 29 2010

Florida Governor Charlie Crist has signed into law the renegotiated compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe.  The compact had been approved by the Florida state legislature.  Its terms, described in earlier posts, give the Tribe exclusive rights to table games at some of its casinos, and the right to operate slots at all of its casinos.  In exchange for the promise of exclusivity, the Tribe will pay the state some $1.2+ billion in the next five years.

Update From Florida: House and Senate Approve Compact

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 20 2010
Yesterday, the Florida state house approved the latest version of the state's compact with the Seminoles.  A few days earlier, the state senate had voted in favor of the compact as well.  By a vote of 29 to 9 in the Senate and 74 to 39 in the house, the state legislature gave its "thumbs up" to the Seminoles' exclusive right to operate table games at three of the tribe's casinos and slots in all of its casinos, in exchange for revenue-sharing payments to the state expected to reach as much as $1.5 billion over five years.  The compact still needs to be signed by Gov. Crist, who, as the state negotiator of the new compact, is sure to do so shortly.

Steve to Give Presentation on Indian Gaming at NDSU

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 7 2010
Steve Light will give a presentation on Indian gaming to the Political Science Department at North Dakota State University on April 8, 2010.  His presentation will discuss the history of tribal gaming under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, as well as the political and legal issues that will shape the future of the tribal gaming industry.

Agreement in Florida?!?

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 6 2010
Looks like we've got a[nother] compact in Florida!  But is it a good one?

Any compact in Florida is a good compact.  At least, that's our thinking as we near 20 years of controversy over tribal gaming in the state.  This latest compact, borne out of the necessity of the Florida Supreme Court's invalidation of the existing compact, seems to strike a balance between a benefit to the state in the form of revenue sharing, and a benefit to the tribe in the form of exclusive gaming rights throughout the state.  It's not all wrapped up in a ribbon, though -- it still needs to be approved by the state legislature, but insiders are optimistic.