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CA - FEINSTEIN DERAILS 2 STATION CASINOS TRIBAL PROJECTS:  Senator Feinstein has derailed Station Casinos plans for two Central Valley casinos by inserting language into a billl that will require the projects to undergo more study.  From the article in the Fresno Bee:  "Lawmakers cited "lack of local support" as a reason for ordering the Interior Department to review again the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians casino plan as well as a casino proposal on the books in Yuba County. The department already gave the casinos a key go-ahead on Sept. 1.  Both proposals call for off-reservation casinos. House and Senate negotiators said only two of the 33 elected officials or bodies that were consulted for the projects expressed support for them.  And a poll released this month by the casino watchdog group Stand Up for California said that 67% of Madera County voters oppose the North Fork plan. In Yuba County, the Enterprise Casino faces 63% opposition, the group said."Those numbers contradict Interior Department decisions to move forward with new casinos in both counties, especially since those decisions were based on 'strong local support,' " said Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who inserted the study language."

CA - NORTH FORK RANCHERIA OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDS:  "The U.S. Department of Interior and FBI are investigating possible misuse of funds by a California Indian tribe in connection to money the tribe receives from Station Casinos LLC for a proposed casino project. The investigation apparently concerns the use and disclosure of the limited funds advanced to the tribe for its proposed casino project under its development agreement with Station Casinos," said John Maier, an attorney for North Fork Rancheria. "  STC101 has learned that the feds were intereste in the astronomical increase in tribal members between 2001 and 2011.  (The number of members determines how much federal aid a tribe receives.)

NV - STATION CASINO STILL LOSING MONEY:  Station Casinos reports loss of $19.1 million for period ending Sept. 30.

MI - MICHIGAN TRIBE SWINDLED BY MEXICAN CASINO CZAR:  "The Chippewa Indian tribe known as the Lac Vieux Desert Band owns a modest casino, a hotel and a golf course. But the complex is far off the beaten path for tourists or gamblers, and many of the tribe's 600 or so members find steady work as unlikely as winning a jackpot. So when a Mexico casino czar named Juan Jose Rojas-Cardona sent an offer to invest in Mexico's booming gambling industry, it seemed like a godsend. But rather than a big payout, the disadvantaged Lac Vieux tribe got swindled. Its multimillion-dollar "investment" disappeared, adding the tribe to a list of victims that includes a mammoth hedge fund in London, an Australian manufacturer of gaming machines, an Arizona investor and two Mexican textile tycoons."

CT - GIANT MOHEGAN SUN CASINO FORCED TO RESTRUCTURE HUGE DEBT:  "The owners of Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun casino are hoping talks to restructure its heavy debt load ($1.6 billion)  don’t come up snake eyes. The country’s second-largest casino, facing a debt payment of more than $500 million in April amid eroding revenue, is hoping the long-standing talks come up aces because it needs to free up cash to fund an aggressive expansion program.The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which runs the 364,000-square-foot casino, has been battling falling revenue for years — it is down nearly 20 percent since 2007.And the forecast isn’t any better. Earlier this week, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill legalizing casino gambling in the Bay State, which could divert thousands of regional gamblers to other casinos."

CA - TRIBES OPPOSE STATION CASINOS PROJECT IN YUBA COUNTY: United Auburn Indian Community, Mooretown Rancheria and Colusa Indian Community, plus five other tribes write to Brown opposing the Station Casinos project near Madera.  Senator Feinstein is on record as opposing this casino.

CA - FACTION SEEKS RECALL OF TRIBAL COUNCIL:  Thunder Valley Casino's tribal council is facing a recall effort from members who want a transparent government. 

MA - INVESTOR CALLS WAMPANOAG ON DEBT:  The investor who raised $25 million to get tribe recognized and go for casino want his money back. Herb Strather, the Detriot developer who first invested in the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's casino efforts in 1999, is calling on the governor to help him recoup the millions he says he spent on the tribe. In a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick, Strather says he raised in excess of $25 million from a wide variety of investors to help the tribe gain federal recognition and pursue a casino.

THE NATION - SUPREME COURT CONTINUES TO DISMANTLE MARSHALL TRILOGY WITH JICARILLO RULING:  The "quasi-dependent state" status of Indian tribes has been further eroded by the latest Supreme Court ruling in US v. Jacarillo Apache Nation. "Continuing its trend of ruling against Indian interests in the Chief Justice John Roberts era, the Supreme Court ruled against the Jicarilla Apache Nation in a 7 - 1 decision handed down June 13."  This is but the latest decision that is slowly dismantling the three rulings of the Marshall Court that have been the basis for the trust relationship and sovereign status of Indian tribes for almost 200 years. 

LOCAL - FEDS GIVE "DEFERENCE" TO FIGR; EXCLUDE CASINO SITE AS CRITICAL HABITAT:  In excluding the Graton Rancheria trust land acreage, US Fish & Wildlife admits that it gave deference to the FIGR in accordance with federal policy.  Would it have excluded any other developer?  Probably not.

MA - "A RACE TO THE BOTTOM":  Massachusetts State Representative Ruth Balser lays out all the proof that casinos aren't the economic engine that tribes and their partners want us to think they are.

CHECK OUT TWITTER FOR MORE STORIES! 

LOCAL - POLL:SONOMA COUNTY RESIDENTS AGAINST ADVISORY ROLE FOR GRATON RANCHERIA:   No surprise there.  Eight years into it, and the FIGR still faces stiff rejection by the public because of the casino.   

CT - CASINOS BRINGS JOBS, HEADACHES:  "I can't see someone wanting to raise their children here with all the traffic."  The question of whether or not casinos create crime and reduce property values (among other things) has finally been answered.  Twenty years ago, Foxwood Casino, the (then-) largest tribal casino in the country opened its doors.  And twenty years later, the impact on the community is a matter of record. 

THE NATION - BILL WOULD STRIP NLRB OF ALL AUTHORITY IN TRIBAL LAND:  Workers on Indian land would have no protection under the National Labor Relations Board if a new bill proposed in Congress passes. 

MS - FBI RAIDS TRIBAL CASINO:  "To obtain the search warrant, agents had to convince a magistrate that...a federal felony was committed and that there was evidence of crime at those facilities,"   Computer hard drives were seized during the raid.

NM - NM COURT ALLOWS DAMAGE SUIT AGAINST TRIBAL CASINO TO GO FORWARD:  "The family of two siblings killed in a car accident in New Mexico can seek damages against a tribal casino for serving them alcohol after they became intoxicated, the state's highest court has ruled. Santa Ana Pueblo's casino had argued that the legal dispute should be handled in tribal court rather than in a state court.  The state Supreme COurt disagreed...." 

MS - FBI RAIDS TRIBAL RESORT:  "FBI agents on Tuesday raided the Mississippi Choctaws' Pearl River Resort - an indication there is some evidence or allegations of a federal crime, a former federal prosecutor said. To obtain the search warrant, agents had to convince a magistrate there was "probable cause to believe that a federal felony crime was committed and that there was evidence of that crime at those facilities," said former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones of Birmingham."

MT - MONTANA TRIBES MUST TRACK SEX OFFENDERS BY END OF YEAR:  "...some offenders on the run have been able to hide out on reservations because of the conflicting jurisdictions but that the Adam Walsh Act has given tribes and authorities the tools to work together."

FL - FEDS INVESTIGATE TOBACCO COMPANY KICK-BACKS TO MUSCOGEE TRIBE:  "...authorities have conducted an undercover investigation of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, apparently looking into possible tobacco kickbacks to Creek Nation employees...."

NY - COURT ALLOWS NY STATE TO COLLECT TAXES ON TOBACCO SOLD ON INDIAN LAND:  "...The state sees the tax as a potential $500,000-a-day revenue source. Tribal leaders view it as an encroachment on tribal sovereignty and a threat to reservation businesses that employ thousands."

CA - Federal appeals court rules Amador Co can sue Salazar over trust land decision.  Read the ruling. 

WA - Kalispel tribe's casino kills Spokane tribe's 2 casinos. Income down from $25 million/year to less than $5 million

NM - Fine Point Gaming's executives uncover unethical business practices at Buffalo Thunder Casino, owned by the Pueblo of Pojoaque, but the tribe won't let them end the practices. 

AZ - Casino revenues kept quiet by tribes.  Why?   

NY - Culinary union challenging UFC to rile Fertittas

NV -  - BANKRUPTCY WEEK AHEAD: Station Casinos Seeks To Control Green Valley Casino in bakrupcty proceedings. 

NV - Motions fly in Station Casinos Green Valley Ranch bankruptcy

NV - Station Casinos Mounts No Defense in Massive Labor Law Violation Trial

Labor News!  NV - LAS VEGAS STRIP CASINO EMPLOYEES TO FIGHT FOR BETTER CONTRACTS:   ""The owners that really don't care that we exist," says Christopher Brown, Business Manager of Operating Engineers Local 501. The union consists of engineers that work in all aspects of casino operations and slot machine technicians. It organized the caravan down Las Vegas Boulevard, which hundreds participated in. "It's high time these employers hear what we have to say," Brown says. "We're not happy with the way they're treating us, wages, benefits, pension increases." "We're just fighting for the respect we're due," adds Ed Martin, an engineer at Circus Circus. They say they'll fight for as long as it takes, and don't plan to settle until they get what they're asking for."

WA -  INTERNAL FIGHT IN SNOQUALMIE TRIBE SPILLS OVER INTO CASINO:   "A fight in the Snoqualmie Tribal Council prompted an unexpected $14 million buyout of the Snoqualmie Casino’s CEO, but doesn’t threaten the casino’s viability in the short-term.  The decision caught many members off guard because it came only two months after the council had voted to maintain casino CEO Mike Barozzi’s contract. The experienced casino manager had been an integral part of the tribe’s pitch to investors when they put together the casino’s financing.  The controversy is the latest episode in a long series of internal troubles for the insular, tight-lipped tribe."

THE NATION - SUPREME COURT ASKS FOR OPINION IN OSAGE NATION CASE:  "The U.S. Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it would seek an opinion from the acting solicitor general, Neal Katyal, before deciding whether to hear an appeal from the Osage Nation.  In 2010, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the tribe’s claim that Congress never disestablished Osage County as a reservation and that tribal citizens who live and work within the county boundaries are exempt from state income taxes as per federal law. The suit against the Oklahoma Tax Commission was originally filed in 2001.   The May 2010 ruling placed the status of three of the tribe’s casinos in limbo. The Million Dollar Elm casinos in Tulsa, Skiatook and Ponca City are on land that is not held in trust by the federal government, which is a requirement in states where gambling is illegal. The tribe submitted an application to the Department of the Interior earlier this year to place the casinos’ land in trust."

THE NATION - PLAN FOR INDIAN CASINO IN CATSKILLS IS REJECTED:  "The federal government rejected a proposal on Friday to build an Indian casino in the Catskills, nullifying a deal reached in the waning days of the Paterson administration to settle a land claim by a tribe based in Wisconsin. "

MI - TRIBAL LEADERS: BAY MILLS ROGUE CASINO UNDERMINES LAW:  "The Bay Mills Indian Community opened an illegal casino in Vanderbilt as a test case to open more casinos in Flint and Port Huron. This reckless action to open off-reservation casinos violates long-established federal and state Indian gaming regulations.  As tribal leaders who are concerned about the long-term viability of Indian gaming, we believe the illegal action of Bay Mills undermines the core purpose of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the promotion of legitimate economic development on Indian reservations. When Indian tribes act like corporate casino companies, rather than tribal governments, we all stand to lose."

AZ - 8TH  TRIBE OPPOSES CASINO:  "After more than two years on the sidelines, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community came out Wednesday in opposition to a sister tribe's proposed casino in the West Valley.  The Tohono O'odham Nation wants to build a casino and resort at 95th and Northern avenues, near Glendale's sports district.  Glendale, the Gila River Indian Community and others are challenging federal approval to put the Tohono O'odham's land into the reservation system, a precursor to gaming. A federal judge's ruling is expected soon."

THE NATION - REPORT:  TOP 10 PLACES TO SAVE FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES:  From USA Today, "Arctic sea ice, coral reefs, the San Francisco Bay, Yellowstone, the Everglades and the Hawaiian islands are among the top 10 ecosystems needing the most protection in order to save threatened and endangered species from climate change, says a new report by conservationists...The coalition's report, "It's Getting Hot Out There," cites data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that estimate 20% to 30% of the world's species will face increased risk of extinction if global temperatures rise at least 3 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels."  The San Francisco Bayand DElta area is listed as number 5.

LOCAL - ROHNERT PARK CASINO PROJECT FACES NEW ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE:  "Foes of an Indian casino proposed for Rohnert Park say they are gearing up for new legal efforts to stop the project, one of the most controversial in Sonoma County for a decade.  “We are going to come out in early January to . . . get people and groups involved in one to five lawsuits,” said Chip Worthington, a chairman of Stop the Casino 101, a coalition of groups opposed to the project. The Center for Biological Diversity, which focuses on species threatened with extinction, this month told regulators of Indian gaming and wildlife preservation efforts that approvals for the project skipped a key legal step and that the project’s impacts on California tiger salamander habitat have not been properly analyzed.  A gaming commission spokesman said nobody was available to comment on Tuesday on the issue,  Graton Rancheria Chairman Greg Sarris did not return a call seeking comment.  Susan Moore, president of the Friends of Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria said she would not comment on the issue. Asked why, she said: “That was the decision made by a group of people I respect so I’m adhering to my principles.” " 

CA - DOCTOR FOCUSES ON GAMBLING ADDICTION:  "Dr. Timothy Fong, co-director of the UCLA gambling studies program, says through his research that gambling is a serious public health issue that has placed an economic burden on the state. In 2003, when Fong joined the UCLA faculty, the Office of Problem Gambling was first created within the state’s alcohol and drug program, and UCLA decided to initiate its program.  “People don’t ‘overdose’ gambling and end up dead, people don’t take guns and shoot themselves and shoot other people,” Fong said. “But when they do, it’s not listed as a problem that gambling had caused. It’s listed as gunshot wound to the head.”   (Greg Sarris taught at UCLA before Sonoma State University.)

CANADA - FACE OF HARDSHIP IS CHANGING:  "Another change over the last 10 years: people are ending up at the Old Brewery Mission as a consequence of gambling addiction. "This is not a drug addict or an alcoholic or a person who is mentally ill and off their meds," Pearce said. "We've had a police officer and a doctor whose lives collapsed because of gambling. They've burned their bridges and they come to us when they have nothing left."  (Canada has had widespread legalized gambling for many years.  Now it would appear that those chickens have come home to roost.  Read below for more.)

PA - WOMAN CITES GAMBLING ADDICTION IN THEFT:  " (29 year old) Kingston resident Marisa Harlen admitted Wednesday before the start of a preliminary hearing that she took money from her elderly aunt to support a gambling addiction.  Harlen was charged in September with taking more than $107,000 from her aunt, Louise Mary Olenik, 81, after being granted power of attorney over her aunt’s finances. Police allege Harlen made at least 25 withdrawals in increments of $100 to $500 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs casino from Dec. 21 to April 12, three withdrawals totaling $615 at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., on Nov. 11 and March 12 and a $500 withdrawal on April 10 at Mount Airy Lodge casino in Paradise Township, Monroe County."

UK - CASHIER'S £5O,OOO GAMBLING THEFT:  "Tracey Spilsbury, 47, from Paignton, was employed as a cashier at the Dart Steam Railway Company.Between April and September this year she stole £45,972 - 50% of the company's annual profit.The mother of one was sentenced earlier at Exeter Crown Court. She spent none of it on her family or herself but fed it all into the fruit machines (gambling machines)."  The court heard that Ms Spilsbury's gambling addiction was so bad that she was playing two gaming machines at the same time. Defence barrister Gareth Evans said: "The extent of her dishonesty took her by surprise. Nobody was aware of what she was doing and she was not spending that money in any other way (but gambling).

CT - Mohegan Sun casino owners received $54M in stimulus cash: Your tax dollars given to a business entity that pays no federal taxes!! What's wrong with this picture? "Talk about winning the jackpot! The feds awarded a staggering $54 million to Connecticut's politically-connected Mohegan Indian tribe, which runs one of the highest grossing casinos in the country, according to a new bombshell report. The tribe, which operates the popular Mohegan Sun casino, earned more than $1.3 billion in gross revenues in 2009. But that didn't stop Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) of helping the tribe secure the funds, according to ABC News...A former aide to Dodd, Charles Bunnell, is Chief of Staff for External and Governmental Affairs for the tribe, ABC News reported..the $54 million loan represents more than one-third of the $168 million allocated by the USDA in the latest wave of stimulus funding for its rural development program. The loan is part of $74 million in loans directed to the tribe by the USDA for the construction of a community center and building." $1.3 BILLION in gross revenues las year, and they couldn't afford to build it themselves?

CA - Loan Sharks Worked Casinos, AG Says: As predicted by the study "Casinos, Crime and Community Costs", by Grinols et al, this story supports the findings that crime increases in casino counties 3 to 5 years after a casino opens, information that STC101 has tried to provide to the City of Rohnert Park for several years now. Thunder Valley Casino has long been touted by the FIGR and even Rohnert Park's city council as having no crime. Rohnert Park's police even traveled to Thunder Valley casino to get the glowing reports just a few years ago. Inside Thunder Valley itself may indeed be a safe place, but the surrounding community is not so safe any more. This is because the very act of gambling attracts the criminal element, the seedy underbelly of society, including loan sharks and illegal betting establishments. This will happen here if a casino opens. It's not even a maybe. It will happen here. From the story: "Five loan sharks, headed by a Chinese mobster, were arrested on charges of felony assault, conspiracy and extortion, Attorney General Jerry Brown said Thursday. Brown said the men preyed on gamblers at Sacramento-area tribal casinos, charged as much as 5 percent interest a week, and assaulted people who were slow in paying up, 'including one woman who was hospitalized for her injuries.' Brown said the gang targeted losers at casinos - including Red Hawk and Thunder Valley - and once the gamblers accepted the loans, the gang trapped them in a 'never-ending loop of debt and fear.' "

More coverage: Suspects Arrested in a Violent Loan Shark Operation that Preyed on Casino Customers

BANKRUPCTY NEWS: Station Casinos' tribal casino project near Madera faces setback : (The best article I've read on the implications of Station Casinos bankruptcy and the company's tribal casino projects in CA. Station's California land holdings and its tribal casino management contracts are ging on the auction block.) "A local American Indian tribe's troubled quest to build a casino near Madera is facing yet another challenge: The proposed site is about to be auctioned off, creating more complications for the $350 million project. The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians has long sought to build a massive hotel-casino on 55 acres of off-reservation land about four miles north of Madera by Highway 99. The land belongs to Las Vegas-based Station Casinos, which also owns an adjacent 250 acres where it could expand with restaurants and shopping malls, turning Madera into an entertainment hub. But because Station Casinos, which has a contract with the tribe to build the casino, is in bankruptcy court, a judge has ordered most of its properties -- including all the land in Madera -- to be auctioned off this summer to satisfy creditors.A new owner would likely mean that the development contract with the tribe would have to be renegotiated and the entire project reassessed. 'It would almost be like going back to ground zero,' said Bill Eadington, director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada at Reno."

LOCAL - Dry Creek tribal leader vows to reclaim post: Caught up in the gut-wrenching issue of disenrollment, Dry Creek has ousted tribal Chairman Harvey Hopkins. "For the past five years, Hopkins, 62, has served as head of the tribe and been twice re-elected. He is credited with making peace with neighbors of the Alexander Valley casino and forging a $100-million, 12-year, revenue-sharing pact with the county. But he also has been embroiled in disputes over tribal membership that led to longtime members being disenrolled. Salvina Norris, said she mounted the recall effort against Hopkins because of his repeated challenges to individuals and their tribal membership, despite an audit of tribal rolls completed last year. She said people were afraid to run for office, or speak up in a meeting because they feared of their membership status being questioned. Battles over membership have become increasingly common in California tribes, particularly since Indian casinos were made legal a decade ago and pay-outs to tribal members are at stake."

MI - Poll: Michigan voters won't back more casinos: Michigan voters have learned from several years of hard-won experience to be wary of the hollow promises of casino developers. "Michigan voters appear to be less than enthusiastic about a ballot proposal to develop up to eight new casinos in the state, and don't believe promised benefits - like more jobs and more money for schools - will be delivered, according to a poll released this week by a coalition opposed to the expansion."

VA - HIGH SCHOOL FINANCIAL OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO EMBEZZLEMENT:  "A former financial officer at the region's top science and technology magnet school pleaded guilty Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Alexandria to embezzling money from student activities and sports accounts. Susan Thanh Litwin...withdrew $279,000 in student funds...using most of it to play blackjack in Altalntic City and Las Vegas...."

CA - THE RINCON DECISION:  Several stories from around the State on the court decision that may change the face of casino gambling in California.

Indian casinos shouldn't be getting a free ride

Casino revenue no sure bet

Rincon decision a dangerous victory for U.S. tribes

Indian compacts come back to bite

LOCAL - AUCTION BLOCK LIKELY FOR ROHNERT PARK CASINO?  "The proposed Indian casino resort in Rohnert Park could be sold at auction under a proposal in the bankruptcy of the Las Vegas gambling company bankrolling the project."

CA - INFANT LEFT IN CAR WHILE PARENTS GAMBLE:  "The family of a Rancho Cordova mother who is accused of leaving her 7-week-old daughter alone in a car at Thunder Valley Casino while she and her husband gambled inside said they were shocked by the alleged incident. (The mother) and her husband...both have college degrees and never smoke, drink or gamble, though the couple have been unemployed for a year."  

LOCAL - STC101 LAWSUIT & THE SUPREME COURT NOMINEES:  "It’s not exactly six degrees of separation, but there’s a nexus between the election to fill Mike Kerns seat on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, a lawsuit challenging the Rohnert Park casino and John Paul Stevens’ retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court"

MORE TO COME IN PENSION CORRUPTION PROBE FOR DEMOCRAT HEAVYWEIGHT DARIUS ANDERSON? "(Darius Anderson) has been subpoenaed by Attorney General Jerry Brown's office in connection with another of his entities, Gold Bridge Capital, a San Francisco placement agent which had helped investment firms obtain more than $250 million worth of deals with CalPERS."

BAY AREA - LOCAL RESIDENTS CLAIM TRIBAL CASINO IN SAN PABLO IS ILLEGAL, SUE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: " A group of West Contra Costa residents this week sued the federal government to revoke Indian gaming rights at the former Casino San Pablo card club, claiming the tribe that now runs electronic bingo machines there cannot claim sovereignty over the land without state approval, which never happened."

THE WORLD - ACCOUNTANT IS JAILED FOR ($3.7 MILLION) THEFT:  "An accountant who stole £2.5million ($3.7+ million) from clients, friends and family to fund a gambling addiction has been jailed for five years.  David Atkinson, 59, told victims, including cancer patients and pensioners, he had invested their money - but blew it on gambling websites. He even stole £200,000 from a church where he was treasurer."

NY - ALL BETS ARE OFF FOR GAMBLING ADDICTS:  "George L. used to enjoy playing cards and betting on horses. But things got out of hand. He estimates that he lost $90,000 to $120,000 on internet poker. "I used to rob, steal, do anything I could to get money to gamble," he said. "My family went without lights. They went without food. They went without rent. But I gambled." "

NV - BIG BANKRUPTCY'S BIG FEES RAISING QUESTIONS:  Station Casinos' ever-increasing legal fees in its banruptcy proceedings ahve cuaght the attention of the judge.  "Earlier this week, U.S. bankruptcy judge Gregg Zive told lawyers in the case that he would appoint a fee examiner if the billables weren't brought under control, according to this report by the Las Vegas Sun. As we have previously reported, one creditor group (represented by Los Angeles's Stutman Treister & Glatt) has already tried to persuade Zive to appoint an independent fee examiner to monitor Station's legal bills."

THE NATION - MINN. TRIBAL WATCHDOG DIES AFTER CANCER FIGHT:  A sad day for honest journalism.  Bill Lawrence, noted Native American journalist and publisher, lost his fight with cancer.

NV - VEGAS FAMILIES FACE OFF IN BANKRUPTCY GRUDGE MATCH  Green Valley Ranch Casino, co-owned by Station Casinos and the Greenspun family,  went belly up last week.  Now the Greenspan's have accused Station Casinos of siphoning off high-rollers, and sending them to Station's wholly-owned casinos.  But before the Greenspan family could even talk with Station - well, read this story of greed and deceit.

CA - WEALTHY CASINO TRIBE USES RECOVERY MONEY TO EXPAND HOTEL: San Pasqual Band Makes History with President Obama's American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Dec. 10, 2009 (BusinessWire) One of the wealthiest casino tribes in California has used federal recovery money to expand its hotel facilities at its casino.

THE NATION - GROWTH SLOWS, BUT CONTINUES, FOR INDIAN CASINOS: 2009-2010 Indian Gaming Industry Report, Dec. 10, 2009 (Benzinga) "Casino City's Indian Gaming Industry Report - the most comprehensive, up-to-date study of Indian gaming available - authored by Dr. Alan Meister, an economist with Nathan Associates Inc., who has done extensive research and analysis on Indian gaming issues. The Report provides calendar year 2008 nationwide statistics and state-by-state statistics (the latter not available anywhere else) including: gaming and non-gaming revenue; Class II vs. Class III gaming; number of facilities, tribes, gaming machines, and table games; market summaries; trends; and the fiscal impact of Indian gaming, including revenue sharing with state and local governments."

CT - FOXWOODS CASINO IN DEFAULT OF LOAN PAYMENT: Nov. 29, 2009 (pressofatlanticcity.com) "Foxwoods Resort Casino, one of the world's largest casinos, has failed to make a full payment on its debt, leading to a default and another ...The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns Foxwoods, in Ledyard, Conn., said it has paid $14.2 million of the $21.25 million semi-annual interest payment that was due Monday on $500 million in debt notes. The tribe said it does not anticipate paying the balance within a 30-day period, resulting in a default. Standard & Poors lowered Foxwoods' credit rating to D, its lowest rating. Lenders will be more hesitant to make loans to Foxwoods...Lenders can take possession of commercial casinos that default and sell them to third parties, but that option likely is not available when dealing with American Indian tribes who operate as sovereign nations...The most likely scenario is a renegotiation of the debt (which)could mean some loan forgiveness, but lenders might question payments to tribal members and review the tribe's business plan....".

THE NATION - BANKRUPTCY & TRIBAL CASINOS UNTESTED WATERS: Troubled casino to test extent of tribal sovereignty Nov. 19, 2009 (Finncial Times, UK) "A looming default by the Native American tribe that owns the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut is stirring a debate over whether holders of billions of dollars of tribal debt can pursue their claims as creditors under US laws. Federally recognised tribes operate as sovereign nations, and hundreds of them have turned to gaming for revenue, financing casino projects with debt including more than $5bn in high-yield bonds, according to Barclays Capital..."The Mashantucket situation could set a precedent," Moody's Investors Service said. "With casinos such as Foxwoods located on sovereign tribal land potentially out of reach of US bankruptcy law, it remains unclear whether creditors could enforce their rights."

CA - Federal court clears obstacles to new slots: " A federal appeals court yesterday paved the way for thousands of new slot machines to roll out across California over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's objections. New slot licenses, up to 10,549 statewide, will be distributed by the California Gambling Control Commission on Monday, as ordered by a court in August. Two tribes in North County stand to get hundreds more slots as a result. The governor had sought to prevent the issuing of the licenses until his appeal of the August ruling is heard. But yesterday, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that request. The court said it would hear the appeal in February, much sooner than normal. "We still think we should win that appeal," said Jeff Macedo, a Schwarzenegger spokesman. "

CA - Verdict for Pauma band in casino deal overturned: " A state appeals court has overturned a $30 million verdict in favor of North County's Pauma Indian band over a failed 2004 deal to build a casino resort with Caesars Entertainment. The deal fell apart after Harrah's Entertainment bought Caesars, leading Pauma's leaders to conclude they could not get Caesars' support for a new casino to compete with the nearby Harrah's Rincon Casino. A complicated five-week trial resulted in a split jury verdict in 2006. "

OR - North Bend Sues Coquille Tribe, Casino For Breaking Deal: " The Coquille Indian Tribe, and its Coquille Economic Development Corp, Thursday failed to pay North Bend $115,000. It's not the first time the tribe has failed to pay, but the city upped the ante this week by suing the tribe. This fight is about how much the tribe has to pay the city for services such as police, fire, and even sewer. The tribe and the city made a deal 15 years ago. It said the city would supply the casino with services for a fee - because the tribe doesn't have to pay any taxes.The tribe says that deal is outdated and needs to be rewritten - it says it won't make any payments until a new contract is signed."

WA - Skokomish Lucky Dog Casino closing in Mason Co, WA: "The general manager of the Skokomish Tribe's Lucky Dog Casino north of Shelton says it will close for the winter due to the recession. Nick Phillips said Wednesday was the casino's last day. It planned to lay off 120 employees, including 80 full-time workers. He says about 10 percent of the staff was American Indian; many workers commuted from cities such as Olympia and Belfair."

THE NATION - Buyout-Backed Bankruptcies Exceed 2008 Total In 3Q: "Station Casinos, backed by Colony Capital, was the biggest bankruptcy of the quarter for the (private equity-backed) industry, wiping out as much as $2.7 billion in equity. Other bankruptcies that involved a significant loss of equity in the quarter were Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., Reader's Digest Association Inc. and Freedom Communications Inc."

CA - Hit Job: 1981 Triple Indian Reservation Murder: "California authorities believe an unsolved 1981 triple murder at the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians was a hit job orchestrated by a tribal casino director, financial adviser and others to cover up illegal activity, and state officials are seeking to have the main suspect extradited to California. James "Jimmy" Hughes...was arrested Saturday at Miami-Dade International Airport on a fugitive warrant and was being held in Miami, where he is fighting extradition to California.The complaint alleges that Hughes conspired with non-Indian tribal financial consultant John Philip Nichols, Nichols' son John Paul Nichols, and others in the days immediately before the murders to "prevent Fred Alvarez from exposing illegal activities of John Philip Nichols, occurring at the Cabazon Indian Reservation."

CA - Tribe sues to void casino compact: "North County's Pauma Indian band says it wants out of a casino deal it struck with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger five years ago because it hasn't been able to build a $300 million resort, yet must still pay millions of dollars to the state.Pauma's financial partner, a Connecticut tribe (Foxwoods) with troubled casinos of its own, has backed out and prospects are dim for the resort once envisioned, the tribe said in a lawsuit filed against the state this month. In addition, Pauma says a recent court order telling the state to issue more than 10,000 slot machine licenses to Indian tribes is proof that the governor tricked it into entering into a compact requiring onerous payments."

CA - At the slots, life isn't always a line of 7s: " You can still smoke in parts of the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, a place where time travels in reverse, sin is celebrated and inhibition does not exist. You can...gamble away your Social Security check and miss payments on the oxygen tank, and it's nobody's business but your own. Serious gamblers are given house credit cards for all their gambling and other purchases. It goes from gold to platinum to black to red for the really big spenders, Jan explained. She and Ralph (both retired) have black cards, which means they are dropping roughly a couple thousand dollars a month at the Spa Resort. Sandy (widowed Senior) holds Agua Caliente's red card. So what's she dropping each month? "Every bit of five," Sandy said, meaning $5,000. I asked if she thought she had a problem. "Am I addicted?" she asked. "Of course."

LOCAL- MORE FEDERAL DELAY FOR ROHNERT PARK CASINO:  "The federal government has delayed taking into trust the land in Rohnert Park proposed for a $1 billion tribal casino while legal issues are working their way through court.  The U.S. Department of Interior agreed to withhold action pending the appeal by opponents of the proposed casino by the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria."

CT- CONNECTICUT IS CLUELESS ABOUT GAMBLING:  "The gambling industry brings with it built-in negative impacts wherever it exists - from crime, traffic and zoning issues to the 3 percent to 4 percent of the population that becomes problem or pathological gamblers. Yet for the nearly 20 years that the state has had Indian casinos, it has raked in billions of dollars while mostly ignoring the unpleasant details...Embezzlement arrests in the state have risen nearly 400 percent since Foxwoods Resort Casino first opened in 1991 - dramatically higher than has occurred in other states with gambling. The towns around the casinos have suffered the most negative impact, with several seeing their rates of driving while under the influence double and even triple, causing injuries and fatalities. Educational costs for local towns have soared. Ten years ago, Norwich had 40 students out of 4,000 who spoke different languages. But after 2001, when more non-English speaking workers began to take casino jobs, that changed. Now Norwich has 400 students speaking more than 20 languages, forcing the city to spend more than 2 million in unreimbursed educational expenses.   Because the casino salaries are too low to afford the high cost of housing in the area, illegal and dangerous boarding houses have opened, some of them potential firetraps."

NATIONAL- GAMING INDEX BACKS OFF RECOVERY:  "LAS VEGAS-Valuations within the gaming sector fell back in June after two consecutive monthly increases, according to locally based Applied Analysis, which maintains the Applied Analysis Gaming Index. The Index, which tracks 10 publicly traded gaming-related companies, fell by 7 points to 233.03, a 2.9% decline."

WA - EX-SUPERVISOR AT TULALIP CASINO JAILED:  "An ex-supervisor at the Tulalip Casino has been jailed on a federal charge of stealing thousands of dollars from a player-reward program he oversaw...He is a Tulalip tribal member."

THE NATION - Many Indian casinos aren't big moneymakers:  "While Indian casinos have seen explosive growth over the past decade - 230 tribes now operate 425 gambling enterprises in 28 states - most wealth is concentrated in a few states. The rest, experts say, are moderately successful or break-even enterprises that rarely result in windfalls for members."

THE NATION - FORBES: CASINO BILLIONAIRES ARE FEELING ECONOMIC PINCH:  "Frank Fertitta III and his brother Lorenzo Fertitta of Station Casinos, both estimated to be worth $1.3 billion last year, did not make this year's (Forbe's) list. But one of their partners in the company, Thomas Barrack of Colony Capital, is on the list with an estimated worth of $1 billion, down from $2.3 billion."

LOCAL - AMENDED SUIT FILED TO STOP CASINO:  "An East Bay attorney has filed an amended lawsuit this month on behalf of a local organization and several residents determined to stop the construction of a proposed casino and resort complex in Rohnert Park.  The background information contained in the amended lawsuit also contains a new argument - that contrary to claims by the tribe, historically the Graton Rancheria was not a reservation, was never held in trust and that there never was a tribe there. The suit claims that when the Graton Rancheria was created in 1920, it was not public land, but rather private land governed by the state of California."

NV - VISITORS, GAMING PROFITS DOWN:  "Las Vegas' streak of declining gaming revenue and visitors continued in November, with gaming revenues dropping nearly 15 percent and tourism numbers down by almost 10 percent. Nevada's gaming revenues regressed to 2004 levels during the month, with casinos statewide winning $836.8 million, a drop of 14.8 percent compared with November 2007's $982.1 million, according to figures released Friday by the Gaming Control Board. Analysts say gamblers coming to Nevada are just not spending the dollars they spent in the past. That's the customers who are actually coming."

NY - SENECAS:  OBAMA MIGHT BOOST CASINO PLANS:  "Barack Obama and the tanking economy are going to mean Indian casinos in the Catskills - or at least that's what Sullivan County's latest casino player is betting on."  (Note:  Sullivan County residents fought for years to keep casinos out of their hometowns,)

MA - LATEST BLOW TO CASINO PLANS:  "The latest blow to the proposed Mashpee Wampanoag casino comes from a group of prominent environmentalists who contend the billion-dollar gaming house is not the 'native way.' "

WI - U.S. REJECTS PLANS FOR KENOSHA CASINO:  "The federal government has rejected the latest bid to open a huge Indian casino in Kenosha's Dairyland Greyhound Park..."

NV - LAS VEGAS DEALT LOSING HAND:  "Like many U.S. cities, Las Vegas is watching its economy reel. Home values have plummeted. Foreclosures have exploded. Unemployment is the highest it's been in at least 20 years.  For the first time in decades, the population has stopped growing. Casino projects are on hold. Planes full of free-spending tourists are landing with less frequency. Long the embodiment of American confidence, the city is now in limbo."  

CA - DA SAYS FRY'S EXECUTIVE WAS MAJOR DEBTOR IN LAS VEGAS:  "A vice president of Fry's Electronics who is accused of swindling the company out of more than $65 million has long been on the radar of Clark County prosecutors.The Internal Revenue Service accuses Ausaf Umar Siddiquim who has since been fired as Fry's vice president of merchandising and operations, of helming a kickback scheme to help pay off his enormous debts amassed at Las Vegas casinos."

NV - LAS VEGAS ECONOMY  MAY GET A HANGOVER FROM HIGH LIVING:  "The recession has hobbled Las Vegas casinos, once lauded as impervious to the national economy's ups and downs. Comparing this October with the same month last year, most everything has plummeted: the number of visitors, hotel occupancy, the number of conventions.  Gaming revenue on the Strip fell 25.8%. And the average daily room rate tumbled 14.3%, a huge blow to profits. At Encore, the leviathan that casino mogul Steve Wynn opened this week, rooms are starting at $159 in January. When his Wynn Las Vegas resort debuted in 2005, $250 was a bargain. "

NV - VETERAN OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY FINDS EVEN IT PROVIDES NO SECURITY: "...this recession, which has pummeled casinos along with many other sectors of the economy, is hitting home in Las Vegas, where thousands have lost jobs in the hospitality sector."

NV - AT EXPO, TALK OF LEANER TIMES REPLACES BOMBAST:  "Gaming companies that traditionally had four to six times as much debt to earnings, fattened up on loans that are now seven to 10 times their earnings. That's leverage that isn't sustainable and would result in heavy losses or bankruptcy if not reduced, executives said.D'Arrigo said MGM Mirage passed on the chance to boost leverage further with loans collateralized by mortgages on the company's hotels, as Harrah's and Station Casinos did - a strategy that is now working against these companies."We had a lot of board members shaking their heads" at these moves, he said. These companies' leverage has only worsened with the recession, he said."

CA - THUNDER VALLEY HALTS HOTEL EXPANSION:  "A Placer County tribe says the declining economy has forced it to stop construction on a hotel that was planned to complement its casino."

CA - SYCUAN REJECTS NEW CASINO EXPANSION PACT:  (One of the four compacts that went to the ballot last year).  "In a stunning turnabout, the Sycuan band on Thursday informed the Schwarzenegger administration that it will not finalize a new gambling agreement that authorized up to 5,000 slots and a second, off-reservation casino.The decision by the El Cajon tribe apparently will avert further, significant expansion of the tribe's existing 2,000-slot casino in the Dehesa Valley, where local opposition has grown with Sycuan's success over the years.The agreement required Sycuan to pay the state a larger share of winnings from its existing slots as well as any additional machines. The higher rates would have cost Sycuan $18 million a year before it added a single machine."

LOCAL - ROBINSON RANCHERIA COUNCIL BEGINS DISENROLLMENT OF DOZENS OF TRIBAL MEMBERS:  "The Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomos Citizens Business Council this week is holding hearings that could have serious implications for the future of dozens of people whose lives are shaped by their unique identity as native Pomo.  Of the tribe's 347 voting members, 60 have been notified that they are being considered for disenrollment, according to Tribal Chair Tracey Avilia. Other sources within the tribe estimate the number of potential disenrollments to be as high as 74. Whichever number is correct, both sides agree that this is the largest disenrollment action the tribe has ever attempted in its history. The action's results could be devastating for those who find their names removed from the tribe's rolls." 

CA - PROPOSED CASINO'S FOOTPRINT CRITICIZED:  "The Cloverdale Rancheria is proposing a large casino, hotel and convention center that could transform Sonoma County's northernmost city from a sleepy, bedroom community to a gambling and entertainment destination.  With an environmental review poised to begin, details of the project -- 596,000-square-feet of buildings with an additional 3,400 parking spaces -- have emerged.  The tribe's proposal calls for a main hall with 2,000 slot machines and 45 gaming tables, a 244-room hotel, a 984-seat convention center, a 1,300-seat entertainment center and almost 1,000 restaurant seats.  'That's almost bigger than the whole town of Cloverdale. That is unbelievable the size of that,' said City Councilman Gus Wolter."

CA - ROUGH ECONOMY HALTS THUNDER VALLEY EXPANSION:  "The indian tribe that owns Thunder Valley Casino announced Tuesday it will suspend construction of a 22-story hotel complex.Because of the uncertain economy, Thunder Valley Spokesman Doug Elmets said the United Auburn Indian Community will re-evaluate the scope of project in three to six months. Steel framing for the hotel complex now stands at five stories."

CA - TRIBAL MEMBERS' EXPULSION REJECTED:  "The Bureau of Indian Affairs has denied the San Pasqual Indian band's bid to eject about 60 members, but said the tribe can appeal the decision about the disputed members' ancestry.  Many tribes determine membership issues on their own, but San Pasqual's constitution gives the BIA that responsibility.  It's unclear what the decision means to an ongoing tribal leadership split that is threatening the tribe's government and its ability to operate the Valley View Casino.  “I haven't talked to the tribe yet,” James Fletcher, Southern California superintendent for the BIA, said yesterday. “My position is going to be the same.”  In June, the tribe told the members whose ancestry is questioned that they would not receive casino profit-sharing payments.  In August, Fletcher said the tribal government had collapsed.  Fletcher has told tribal members that without a government, they can't run tribal operations or operate businesses, including the casino.  He has tried to bring sparring sides together through mediation and negotiation, but a solution is not at hand, he said."

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CA - MORONGO RESORT CASINO & SPA LAYS OFF 95 WORKERS:  "The Morongo Resort Casino & Spa has laid off 95 people, making it the latest Indian casino in the region to scale back in the face of the growing economic downturn, the tribe announced Tuesday.  All of the employees are dealers or table-game operators and represent 5 percent of the casino's work force.  The casino, which sits along Interstate 10 near Cabazon, closed 28 table games months ago. Management also began reducing the casino's work force through attrition more than a year ago and froze managers' salaries."

NV - GET READY TO DEBATE THE MERITS OF LOWERING STATE GAMBLING AGE:  "It is no secret why gaming executives might propose lowering the legal age for gaming from 21 to 18. It could bring as many as 12 million young people into casinos nationwide. Many of them would become customers of Nevada casinos.If the proposal actually comes before the Nevada state Legislature, as gaming regulators suggest could happen, lawmakers should be prepared to hear compelling opposing arguments about the wisdom of such an act.  It also has been reported that 3 percent of Nevadans and 1 percent of Americans have pathological gambling problems. At first glance, that doesn't seem a lot. But such dysfunction is known to lead to losing homes and savings, and to criminal behavior. If adults succumb to temptation and end up in treatment centers and in jails for their crimes, how can young adults -- essentially teenagers -- resist?"

IA - BATTLE SPOTLIGHTS RIGHTS OF AMERICAN INDIANS:  "James Ironshell has lived with his wife and daughters on the Meskwaki settlement for more than a decade. Now he's fighting tribal authorities who want to ban him from his home because he's from another tribe.  Authorities say Ironshell has violated a tribal ordinance that prohibits Meskwaki women from sharing a settlement home with men who are not Meskwaki.  Ironshell is a Rosebud Sioux. His wife, Eloise, is Meskwaki. Both say the ban amounts to racial discrimination.  The dispute raises a legal question with implications that reach far beyond the settlement: Does the U.S. Constitution provide equal protection rights to American Indians as it does other U.S. citizens?  Ironshell's attorney says yes. Tribal officials say no. "

RI - SUPREME COURT HEAR CASE OVER AMERICAN INDIAN LAND:  "The Narragansett Indian Tribe bought a 31-acre lot in 1991, saying it would be used for "economic development" and housing for the elderly and poor.However, the state of Rhode Island, fearing the tribe really wants to create a tax-free zone or build a casino, sued to block the Narragansetts from putting the land into federal trust, which would essentially free it from state and local law.  Today, their fight reaches the U.S. Supreme Court in a case being closely watched across the country because it could determine how tribes recognized after the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act are allowed to buy, govern and use land."

AZ - ARIZONA REPORTS REVENUE DROP IN AMERICAN INDIAN CASINO REVENUE:   "Arizona's American Indian casinos suffered a 9.5 percent drop in business during the third quarter, according to new state figures."

NC - CASINO SUFFERS IN SOUR ECONOMY:  "Customers are down 15 percent. And the second of the year's twice annual payouts to members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians could be less than the check before - another first for the tribe.  'It is this next quarter that is going to be telling,' said Joyce Dugan, the casino's director of external relations and a former principal chief of the Eastern Band. 'We just don't know. No one knows from day to day what the market is going to be.' "

CA - SURPRISE TWIST IN CASINO RULES:  " When representatives of about 50 Indian tribes gathered with state regulators recently, everyone in the room knew that nearly all of the tribes were about to vote against a set of casino security standards sought by the state.   The surprise came when Attorney General Jerry Brown's emissary stood with the powerful gaming bands and also put up a vote against the standards drafted by the attorney general's regulatory partner, the California Gambling Control Commission. "  (Webmeister's note:  Some shamelesss grandstanding by Brown, who clearly is courting the tribes in preparation for his run for governor!  Didn't he learn from Bustamonte?)

NY - SULLIVAN ON THE BRINK OF ECONOMIC BOOM:  You don't need a casino to bring new jobs and businesses to an area!  "Restaurants, five-star hotels, luxurious spas and family fun parks, jets zooming into the airport, a new Concord rising from the rubble - all this was promised to come with an Indian-run casino. And now, only a few months after Sullivan's decades-long quest for a casino died at the hands of the federal government, the long economically depressed county has begun to rebound.  Developers are investing $1.6 billion in economic projects that could bring thousands of jobs in the next two years."

CA - CLASH WITH TRIBE SPURS EFFORT TO CLOSE CASINO:  From the NY Times, "...a standoff between county sheriff's deputies and leaders of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians has led to an unusual effort to close one of the casinos because of safety concerns.  Three Soboba members were killed in gunfights with deputies on the reservation in May, and the authorities say tribal members have shot at deputies in patrol cars and helicopters with high-powered assault rifles over the past nine months."

CT -SCHAGHTICOKE LOSE APPEAL:  "District judge upholds agency's denial of federal recognition...A federal judge has rejected a claim by the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation that opponents used "improper political influence" to win a denial of official recognition of the tribe by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  The long-awaited decision constitutes a major victory for the State of Connecticut and the Town of Kent, where the tribal nation claims its base and where residents feared that federal recognition could bring an Indian-owned casino to that rural northwestern community."
  

CA - BINGO BILL TOOK CIRCUITOUS ROUTE THROUGH CAPITOL:  "This is a story about how laws are made in California. It's about poor kids in Los Angeles who lack tuition for parochial school, and disabled kids in Sacramento whose beloved therapy program is threatened. It's about casino tribes, Catholic priests, high school sports and blind people. Oh, and bingo."

BAY AREA - RICHMOND CASINO PACT ILLEGAL, DECLARES JUDGE:  " Contra Costa County judge dealt a blow to plans for a North Richmond casino Wednesday, saying she intends to strike down an agreement for the City of Richmond to provide police, fire and other services.  Superior Court JUdge Barbara Zuniga issued a tentative ruling declaring the Municipal Services Agreement between the city and the Scotts Valley band of Pomo Indians violated the California Environmental Quality Act.    In addition to providing police and fire protections, the MSA also calls for several construction projects, including either a new or upgraded fire station as well as the creation of a new left-turn lane on Parr Boulevard and additional traffic lanes on that boulevard, an interchange at the intersection of Richmond Parkway and San Pablo Avenue and a new bike lane.  "These activities have a potential for resulitng in  either a direct  physical change to the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, " said Zuniga in her two-page finding."

OK - BIA GIVES TRIBE 30 DAYS:  "A land trust application to build a proposed $60 million Seneca Cayuga casino on Grand Lake may be pulled and the application closed, a Bureau of Indian Affairs official said Tuesday.  The BIA sent a letter inquiring about the status of environmental documents that was requested but not received, said Jeanette Hanna, BIA Regional Director.  Hanna said the tribe was notified last week that if the BIA hadn't official received the documents in 30 days, the trust application would be closed out."

LOCAL - NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON ROHNERT PARK CASINO FRONT: "While a North Bay assemblyman introduced legislation this week that would require local approval of Indian casinos, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with the Graton tribe that would prevent them from building a second casino in Sonoma or Marin counties.  'When they got their land taken into trust, we realized it didn’t limit them to this one time,' (Supervisor Mike) Kerns said. 'We began worrying about the future and that they might go into other areas in Sonoma and Marin counties...' "  (Note:  Did they just wake up one day and realize that!?!  That's what we've been telling them and Marin County for 5 years!)

LOCAL - HUFFMAN WARNS ABOUT CASINO DEAL: "A deal that Marin County supervisors have negotiated with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria regarding casino development in Marin and Sonoma is misguided, Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said."

LOCAL - SUPERVISORS CRAFT DEAL TO LIMIT TRIBAL GAMING:  "Marin County supervisors are considering a deal with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria that would limit the tribe which is already seeking a casino in ROhnert Park, to one casino in either Marin or Sonoma county.  In May, county officials learned that the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs had approved the tribe's 2006 application to take into trust 254 acres in Rohnert Park, according to a memorandum from Patrick Faulkner, the county's top lawyer. The bureau also said federal law requires it to accept into trust any Marin or Sonoma property upon application by the tribe - and that its actions are not subject to any public or environmental review."

LOCAL - PROPOSED CLOVERDALE CASINO SITE TRIPLES IN SIZE: "A public meeting on the proposed casino's upcoming environmental review is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. July 30 at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds.  The Cloverdale Rancheria's proposed casino and hotel site has increased in size with the tribe more than tripling the acreage it acquired last year for the venture.  The hotel/spa and casino resort could occupy up to 596,000 square feet, according to a tribal consultant.  "In little Cloverdale? There goes our small-town charm," said City Councilman Gus Wolter, reacting Friday to the scale of the project.  But if it does get built, Sonoma County could potentially have three of the largest Indian casinos in Northern California."

CA - JUDGE ORDERS NEW REVIEW OF ANNEXATION:  "....U.S. District Judge Howard Matz's ruling in Los Angeles July 9 finds the fee-to-trust process flawed and supports citizens' rights to appeal."  (Note:  The lawsuit was brought by our friends in Santa Barbara County, Preservation of Los Olivos and Preservation of Santa Ynez when citizens near the new trust land acquisition of the Chumash were refused legal standing to protest by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.) 

CA - SAFETY CONCERNS CHALLENGE SOBOBA EXPANSION PLANS:  "Plans to expand its reservation and to build a new casino and hotel have drawn ire in nearby San Jacinto. Neighbors say they fear an expansion would increase crime and clog their streets. The city government has asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to suspend the Soboba application. The federal Indian gambling regulatory agency has said it could be forced to close Soboba Casino if violence on the reservation is a threat to the gambling site's customers. The warning from the National Indian Gaming Commission followed two May shootouts with sheriff's deputies that left three tribal members dead. "

MA - GAMBLING INTERESTS PAY LOBBYISTS $2 MILLION:  "Gambling interests spent at least $2 million on lobbyist salaries to sway the state Legislature in the past 18 months, a reflection of the debate over casinos reaching a fever pitch.  The House defeated Gov. Deval Patrick's casino gambling bill in March, and the spending on lobbyists could have gone even higher had the debate lasted through the summer.  Secretary of State William Galvin said the final tally could break a record for spending by gambling interests"

NY - JUDGE REJECTS INDIAN CASINO BEGUN IN BUFFALO:  From the the NY Times, "A judge has ruled that the Seneca Indian Nation does not have the right to build a casino on a site where it has started construction.  The judge, William M. Skretny, of Federal District Court, set aside a decision by the National Indian Gaming Commission that allowed the casino, ruling in favor of opponents who sued to stop it".

THE NATION - STINGY CREDIT MARKETS TEST U.S. CASINO PROJECTS: " The troubled credit markets that are creating problems for homebuyers, cities and other borrowers are also disrupting the capital-intensive casino industry - driving up construction costs and delaying, if not completely scuttling, projects." 

NY - DEVELOPER PARLATO WILL CHALLENGE CASINO LAWS BY INSTALLING SLOTS: 

There’s the regular way of doing business, and then there’s the Frank Parlato way. The feisty businessman said he will put slot machines on the ninth floor of a building he controls in downtown Niagara Falls near the Rainbow Bridge to protest the tax-free advantage the Seneca Nation has over all other businesspeople in Niagara Falls and Buffalo who have to pay sales and property taxes. Parlato has been battling the state for several years over the Seneca matter, noting he has to pay $1,000 a day in real estate taxes on his building, while the Indians, who “operate a gold mine across the street, pay no taxes.”

LOCAL - CASINO LAWSUIT CITES STATE SOVEREIGNTY:  "While a recent lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of the Interior is meant to prevent a casino from being built in Rohnert Park, the (lawsuit) is based on a general contention regarding state land sovereignty throughout the country, rather than alleged unlawful activity by the (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria)."

CA - TRIBE DENIES 50 MEMBERS PROFITS FROM CASINO: "A long-simmering dispute within a North County Indian band boiled over yesterday when the tribe withheld casino profit checks from about fifty people, claiming that one of their ancestors was adopted and that as a result, they're not really Indians.  The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, which operates the recently expanded Valley View Casino, also fired several people from tribal jobs and leadership positions after questioning their membership and said it would evict them from homes on tribal land. "

CA - IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY ARRESTED AT SO-CAL INDIAN CASINO FOR ALLEGEDLY TAKING IMMIGRANTS' BRIBES:   "An attorney for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and his wife were arrested on suspicion of accepting thousands of dollars from both legal and illegal immigrants in exchange for immigration benefits, authorities said.  ICE Assistant Chief Counsel Constantine Peter Kallas, 38, and wife Maria Kallas, 39, both of Alta Loma, were arrested Thursday at the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, where authorities believed they were accepting such a bribe, U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek said in a statement."

NY - NEW YORK SUES OVER LAND TRUST DECISION:  "Gov. David A. Paterson and Madison and Oneida counties have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the the Department of the Interior's May 22 decision to take 13,004 acres of land into trust for the Oneida Indian Nation. Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo joined the governor's office in making the joint statement issued Thursday.
In that statement, Paterson and Cuomo said the suit will argue that the decision is unconstitutional because the state has continuously exercised jurisdiction over its lands since the adoption of the Constitution" and has never consented to the removal of lands from the state.  Calling the decision "just the latest action from the secretary of the interior and the BIA that is not in the best interest of the state," Paterson said, "We simply can not allow this decision to stand as it will have a devastating effect on Madison and Oneida counties, and set a dangerous precedent for similar cases across the state."

WI - HOUSE VOTE KEY IN INDIAN CASINO BATTLE:  "A House vote is set for Wednesday on legislation that would clear the way for Indian casinos in Port Huron and Romulus.  The bills would let two Chippewa tribes -- Sault Ste. Marie and Bay Mills -- swap ancestral land they claim on the St. Mary River for casino sites. A fight over the legislation has dragged on more than five years."

OK - CITIZENS GROUP OPPOSES GROVE CASINO:  "A group of Grove residents are working to prevent the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe from building its proposed $60 million casino at Grand Lake.  Financial advisor Darrell Mastin serves as a spokesman for the )Seneca-Cayuga Tribe).  Mastin says he envisions patrons ignoring other city businesses as they drive to and from the casino."

LOCAL - CASINO FOES SAY FEDS CAN'T SECURE LAND FOR TRIBE: ( Note:  the Plaintiffs actually include Stop the Casino 101 Coalition and a number of private citizens.)  "A Rohnert Park group has filed suit against the federal government, challenging its ability to take into trust land for a proposed Indian casino.  The suit was filed by Stop the Casino 101 and contends the Department of the Interior violated the U.S. Constitution when it took into trust 254 acres of land for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. "The federal government is powerless to create a new state or sovereign nation within an existing state without the consent of the state," said Stephan Volker, the Oakland attorney who filed the suit."

RI - R.I. FILES ARGUMENTS IN NARANGASSETT TRUST LAND CASE: "Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri filed legal arguments Friday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the Narragansett Indian Tribe from removing a 31-acre lot from state control, a step that could help the tribe build a casino there."

THE NATION - TRIBE'S LAND PURCHASES ALARM COMMUNITIES: "On the East Coast, the Oneida Nation is trying to place 17,000 acres in central New York state into federal trust, yanking it from the tax rolls and making it independent territory.  Also, tribes are buying land all up and down the state of California.  "From an original 640 acres we've probably purchased more than 3,000 additional acres," said Adam Day, assistant tribal manager for the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, which is roughly as close to downtown San Diego as the Shakopee tribe is to downtown Minneapolis. "And what we do is, one by one we apply to bring [the land purchases] into trust. San Diego County always opposes us, as they do everyone else. But we are batting .1000, and we will have more - including a very big one - in the future. "And I could rattle off the names of two dozen others like us all up and down California. It's very common. Throw a dart at a map of California, and you'll hit one.""

LOCAL - POLITICAL RUMBLE FOR ZANE, WRIGHT:  "Tuesday's election in Sonoma County's 3rd Supervisorial District cut the field in half, but the level of acrimony between the two surviving candidates seems destined to double in the runoff contest.  That's because the unions and environmentalists behind Shirlee Zane and the business interests behind Sharon Wright see a golden opportunity on Nov. 4 to secure their voice on the county's governing board."

EAST BAY - FEDS ANNOUNCE OFFICAL END TO INDIAN CASINO PLAN IN OAKLAND: "A long-domrant plan to build a Las Vegas-style hotel and a casino near Oakland International Airport is now officially dead."

LOCAL - HUFFMAN OBJECTS TO CASINO DEAL:  "Assemblyman Jared Huffman on Friday objected to plans by the federal government to take land into trust near Rohnert Park for development of an Indian casino.  In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Interior Carl Artman, Huffman said the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria cannot claim sovereignty over the 254 acres west of HIghway 101 and cannot conduct gaming there,"

LOCAL - CLOVERDALE COUNCIL OPPOSES CASINO:  "Cloverdale City Council members on Wednesday essentially said "no dice" to a casino in their town.  On a 4-0 vote, council members passed a resolution opposing the Cloverdale Rancheria's plans to build a Las Vegas-style casino at the southern end of town, next to Highway 101.  The resolution opposes the casino on a number of grounds, beginning with its "detrimental effect" on the small-town atmosphere Cloverdale prides itself on."

LOCAL - TRIBE WANTING TO BUILD CASINO GRANTED 354 ACRES IN BAY AREA:  :In a major step toward a Las Vegas-style mega-casino in the Bay Area, federal officials on Wednesday announced a decision to take 254 acres into trust for an American Indian tribe just off Highway 101 in Sonoma County...the decision Wednesday stems from a controversial act of Congress, not the usual regulatory approval process.  In 2000, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer backed restored tribal status for Graton in legislation that, unlike an earlier bill, allowed the possibility of a casino. The project has raised a furor from opponents in both Marin and Sonoma counties since the tribe picked out the land in 2003... Graton chairman Greg Sarris played down the federal decision as "just one of several steps in the long process to reestablish a reservation and build a resort." A 30-day judicial review period for the decision began Wednesday.

LAKE COUNTY - CASINO CAUSES CONTROVERSY FOR TRIBE:  "Labeled "dissidents" in media and by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo tribal leaders, Scotts Valley Pomos Les Miller, formal tribal Chairman, and Steve Elliott were the main engineers behind getting federal recognition for the tribe, which became legally recognized in 1999. Now they feel the desire for money and a profitable casino in the Bay Area is pulling the family apart.  "Money has really changed the family. If you get money you go berserk, now we're like strangers," Elliott said.  The 109- adult member tribe, with 110
minors, is based in Lakeport with a main office there, with roots in Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma county, and some members argue, Richmond.   But Miller, Elliott and at least one ethnohistorian say that's a stretch. Reaching out to claim historic ties to land for the purposes of building a casino is an effort commonly labeled "reservation shopping."   The tribe is in the process of proving a connection to land more than 200 miles south of Lakeport in unincorporated Contra Costa County near North Richmond, where plans for a Las Vegas-style casino are under way. And Miller, Elliott and some other members don't agree with the plan."

LOCAL - CASINO AN ELECTION TOPIC:  "State Senate candidates Carole Migden and Joe Nation said Thursday they oppose efforts to open a casino near Rohnert Park, while Mark Leno said there is little legislators can do about it.  Leno, who answered that people should seek a change in federal law if they oppose the casino...said questions would have to be answered about the impacts before he could cast a vote."

THE NATION - CASINO REGULATOR OPPOSES TRIBAL CONSULTATION:  "Amid complaints that his agency is overreaching, the chief federal regulator of Indian gaming on Thursday urged Congress not to pass legislation requiring more consultation with tribes.  Phil Hogen, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that tribes often don’t consider consultation adequate unless federal regulators agree with them...The Senate hearing followed last week’s hearing in the House on a bill by Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., that would require “regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration” with tribal officials in the development of federal policies."  (Note: Rahall is the Chairman of the House Resource Committe, the committee that oversees Indian-related issues in Congress. He is pro-tribal, and reportedly receives a great of money from gambling tribes.  His legislaion would gut the little control the NIGC has.) 

CA - PROBLEMS FOUND IN SOFTWARE OF SLOTS:  "California's first inspection of slot machines at Indian casinos has found widespread software lapses that could be short-changing tribes, the state and millions of gamblers, the state's gambling commission warns in a new report.  State inspectors approved just 60 percent of the slots that were examined last year at seven casinos, which included some of the most successful and sophisticated in the nation."

CHICO - CiTY PASSES ON PROVIDING PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES TO CASINO:  "City leaders said Monday pursuing a chance to provide public safety services for a proposed Mechoopda casino would not financially benefit the city and could open it up to costly liability issues and other problems. City Councilor Steve Bertagna said Monday it does not make sense to respond to a request from the Mechoopda seeking police and fire protection services for a casino the tribe proposes to build near the intersection of Highways 99 and 149. "There just wasn't any upside to offset our involvement. ... It just didn't appear there was a chance we ought to take and it wasn't a financial benefit anyway," Bertagna said in a telephone conversation. "

LOCAL - TRIBE WON'T SEEK CASINO IF PETALUMA SITE GETS WATER:  "The Indian tribe that owns River Rock Casino in Geyserville and a 277-acre property south of Petaluma says it will drop its application for gaming rights on the local site in exchange for water and sewer service there.
Without water and sewer hook-ups to the property, the tribe will only delay its application for eight years, under the terms of a wide-ranging agreement reached with the county this week."

THE NATION - CASINO RULING RILES TRIBES:  "A major policy change this year by the Interior Department will slow the growth of the multibillion-dollar Indian casino industry.  The change, made in a series of letters and a memo issued in early January, essentially rejected 22 applications for new off-reservation casinos by hinging their approval on a single criterion -- the distance from the reservation."

CA - NO CONSENSUS ON MADERA CASINO OF RANCHERIA LAND:  "Citizens and public officials packed a hall at the Madera District Fairgrounds on Wednesday evening to cheer -- or jeer -- plans for an Indian casino off Highway 99.  They debated whether putting a casino on 305 acres north of Madera, instead of on the North Fork Rancheria in the Sierra foothills, would lessen traffic and pollution problems.  But mostly, they argued about whether it would be right to put the casino some 50 miles from where the Mono Indians have their traditional lands."

CA - LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PUSH FOR MORE CONTROL OVERCASINO NEGOTIATIONS: From this week's Capitol Weekly, "Hoping to gain more control over casino negotiations, local governments in California are taking their case to the federal Department of the Interior.  Representatives of the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties are set to meet with Carl Artman, the assistant secretary of Indian Affairs at Interior, on March 7 when he visits California. These groups are seeking three things local governments aren’t currently getting in casino negotiations, said CSAC spokeswoman DeAnn Baker:
adequate notice that negotiations are taking place; meaningful consultation in the process; and consent of the community where a casino would be placed."

Read Dry Creek's letter to Corps of Engineers (PDF)-CLICK HERE

Click Here for Yellow Bird Article (PDF

RESERVATION METH CRISIS DETAILED TO SENATE PANEL: The ongoing crisis of meth use, production and sales on Native American reservations was recounted in detail to a Senate panel. With the infiltration of gangs, the size of reervations and the lack of law enforcement capability, and officers hampered by "families...under great pressure not to cooperate with officers", meth is cutting a swath across Indian Country.

COMMUNITIES DON'T WANT INDIAN CASINOS: Congress is growing increasingly concerned about "...Indian tribes building gambling halls in communities that don't want them." Communities nationwide have voiced their "grave concerns", says Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "Asked to gauge the public outcry, McCain said: 'It's getting bigger all the time.'"

SOVEREIGN WHEN IT SUITS THEM: "California's casino-owning Indian tribes are ... trying to have it both ways.... The legal foundation of the multibillion-dollar Indian gambling monopoly in California is the tribes' assertion that they are sovereign governments, legally entitled to conduct activities that are denied to everyone else by state gambling laws. The tribes claim sovereignty, however, only when it is economically or politically advantageous for them to do so."

Tribes want it both ways; they're sovereign when it suits them-Click Here

EVEN WITH A COMPACT, TRIBE HAS NO RIGHT TO URBAN CASINO: We've said it all along: NO TRIBE IS GUARANTEED A CASINO!! Now the Justice Department has advised Indian Affairs Chairman John McCain that the "...those who engage in gaming-related activity should anticipate the possibility that the law may change," (Assistant Attorney General William) Moschella wrote. "S.113 is an application of congressional authority to regulate such economic activity." - regardless of the fact that the land is trust, and regardless of the fact that the Governor gave the tribe a compact. This opinion clears the way for Feinstein's SB113, which would keep the Lytton Band from operating Casino San Pablo as anything more than a card room.

DEPRESSION-ERA LAWS STILL USED FOR TRIBAL LAND ANNEXATIONS: The annexation program currently being used by wealthy casino tribes to acquire new land was first established by the federal government during the Depression to help underprivileged tribes gain independence from government financial support. It was never meant to eternally subsidize tribes, especially those flush with casino riches, and it comes at a great cost to every one else in the community.

CRIME RATES RISE 258% AFTER CASINOS ARRIVE: A recently concluded study of the impact of casinos on crime rates confirms the results of other, earlier studies, including one commissioned by the federal government. In a study that looked at several areas noted for casinos such as Atlantic City and the area around the Foxwoods (Indian)casino in Connecticut, analysts found that crime rates rose 258 percent in the ten years after casinos arrived.

Read the full report (pdf file)-Click Here