Indian Tribe Accused of 'Reservation Shopping' for Casino

Legislation approved by a House committee in Washington could hinder an off-reservation casino gambling project proposed in northern New Mexico, along with similar projects nationwide related to Indian Tribe casinos.

A provision in the bill calling for certain tribal ties to the casino land has led to disagreement between advocates and critics about how much impact it would have on the Anthony proposal.

The bill by Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., takes aim at the trend of off-reservation gambling, or, as some critics call it, "reservation shopping."

The legislation must now go to the House floor. Pombo's bill, which passed 27-9, would amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 to eliminate an exception that allows tribes to build off-reservation with the approval of the interior secretary and the state's governor.

The Jemez Pueblo and Santa Fe art dealer Gerald Peters are seeking a casino under this provision. Applications for a casino submitted before March 7 of this year would be grandfathered in, as long as the facility is being proposed for land where the tribe has "a primary geographical, historical and temporal nexus," according to the bill's text.

The Jemez Pueblo submitted its application in December of 2004, so it meets the cut-off date, but it's unclear whether the tribe could meet the second condition. The pueblo is located some 300 miles to the north of Anthony. Paul Chinana, former pueblo governor and chairman of the Jemez Gaming Enterprise Board, said the meaning of the bill's language isn't entirely clear, but the pueblo does have historical ties to the area.

July 28, 2006
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!