gaming – Page 73 – Turtle Talk

American Indians have amassed more wealth today than ever before, largely in response to changes allowing tribes to conduct gambling operations on their territories. This panel explores the role that casinos have come to play in tribal life, the role they should play, and ongoing efforts to secure justice for American Indians of all tribes.

Speakers:

– Jeff Keohane, Forman & Associates

– Colette Routel, Assistant Professor of Law, William Mitchell College of Law

– Tom Pack, Stanford Law School ’12, Moderator

For more information, contact Tom Pack at tompack@stanford.edu

Bay Mills Indian Community Reply Briefs in Vanderbilt Casino Sixth Circuit Appeal

October 18, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here:

BMIC Reply

BMIC Motion to Strike Appellee Briefs

The Political Economy of the Carcieri Fix

October 17, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

Last week’s hearing on the ongoing question of whether Congress will “fix” the Supreme Court’s Carcieri decision was a different take than earlier hearings, but still completely ignores the elephant in the room.

The first hearings were naked pleas to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision on the grounds that the decision was just plain incorrect. The increased complexity of administration of fee to trust acquisitions for tribes possibly affected by Carcieri and Interior was the backdrop there. Now it is jobs and economic development, truly important factors.

But what was missing, and what likely guarantees there will never be a Carcieri fix, was the big gaming tribes. It is the big gaming tribes that divide Indian country on this question, and even though there are only a dozen, maybe two, in question … and they have an effective veto on a Carcieri fix.

Forget Rhode Island’s concern about having their ridiculously expensive Supreme Court victory stripped away, or some Senators’ concerns about “reservation shopping.” Senators views can be changed, especially when political expediency requires it. But the powerful Indian gaming tribes’ interests are economic. So the hearings are incomplete at best, and maybe a sham at worst, because the real interests can stay quiet on the record.

Intertribal gaming revenue sharing anyone? But even that might not be enough.

Ninth Circuit Dismisses James Parks’ Discrimination Complaint against Tulalip

October 14, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the unpublished opinion in Parks v. Tulalip Casino Resort.

Lower court materials are here.

Former GTB Economic Development Corp. CEO Jeff Livingston Sentenced to 24 Months for Defrauding Chukchansi Casino

October 11, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

From the Tribal Justice News release of October 7, 2011:

Former General Manager of Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino Sentenced for Defrauding Casino (U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California)

U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Jeff Livingston, 51, of Las Vegas to 24 months in prison for his conviction on six counts of mail fraud and three counts of theft committed during his employment as the general manager of Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. The evidence at trial showed that Livingston, Chukchansi’s general manger, executed a scheme to defraud Chukchansi by making a series of personal purchases using his business credit card and other Chukchansi funds. Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino is owned and operated by the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, a federally recognized Indian tribe in Madera County.

Our posts on Livingston’s motion to dismiss and indictment are here and here, respectively.

The rest of the Tribal Justice News release for October 7, 2011 is here:

Continue reading →

City Pulse News Article and Radio Show on a Possible Tribal Casino in Lansing

October 6, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here is the news coverage. An excerpt:

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said a casino in Lansing would have a “tremendous positive impact,” but some experts disagree.

On Friday, following reports that his administration is negotiating for a casino, Bernero issued a written statement saying his “administration strongly supports the concept of a casino in Lansing because it would have a tremendous positive impact on our local economy.”

But Matthew Fletcher, MSU professor of law and director of the indigenous law and policy center said building a casino in Lansing would siphon wealth from other communities rather than create new wealth.

“Michigan Indian gaming is what I would call zero-sum, it’s grown as much as it can,” Fletcher said. “If a casino generates let’s say $100 million, almost all of that is going to come from other communities.”

Fletcher said the Indian gaming industry leveled off about 10 years ago at the $10 billion mark. Even the three non-Indian casinos in Detroit started siphoning money from the Indian casinos. [MF edit: this supposed to be $1 billion, and limited to Michigan, but no biggie]

“There certainly will be positive economic impacts (for Lansing), there will be some growth,” Fletcher said. “The significance of it isn’t going to be a whole lot.”

And the radio show, on the MSU radio station (89 FM):

Ted O’Dell of the Lansing Jobs Coalition, tribal spokesman James Nye and MSU professor Matthew Fletcher discuss Indian casinos. Katherine Draper and Bruce Witwer of the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition speak about the Homeowner Education Resource Organization program. MSU theater senior Dennis Corsi previews his new theater company’s first production, “Bare,” which opens this weekend.