Tribe Wants to Seal Casino Option

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is seeking federal approval to place the Emerald Downs racetrack property into federal trust for a potential casino. "There are no plans" now for a casino, but the tribe didn't want to lose its right to put gambling in at the 185-acre Auburn property in the future, said Rollin Fatland, a consultant with the Muckleshoots. The tribe, which operates one of the state's most lucrative casinos in Auburn, filed an application with the Bureau of Indian Affairs last month to beat an April 15 deadline that could have limited such future requests.

Currently, tribes can open casinos on land acquired after 1988 and off their reservation if they meet certain provisions of the Indian Gambling Regulatory Act. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. , chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, introduced a bill in November to limit some of those provisions. McCain, who noted that Indian gambling is a $19 billion industry and growing, set an April deadline to grandfather in applications before reforms take place. "If we don't do something, we will forever lose the ability to do it," Fatland said, explaining why the Muckleshoot Tribe put in an application. He added, "There are no plans to do anything different than what's on the property now. "

May 13, 2006
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!