Here is the press release — 2-first-half-2008-press-release-07-30-08
GTB Revenue Sharing for the 1st Half of 2008
Here is the press release — 2-first-half-2008-press-release-07-30-08
revenue sharing
Pokagon Revenue Sharing Dispute News Coverage
From the Michigan City News-Dispatch:
NEW BUFFALO, Mich. – The slowing economy is not keeping people away from the Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo Township, which collected about $146.6 million in slot machine revenue over the six-month period that ended March 30.
Figures released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board show that the casino, owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, is taking in $24.4 million a month in slot machine revenue.
The monthly total has not changed from the amount estimated using figures covering August and September 2007, the casino’s first two months of operation.
Because it is privately held, the casino does not release figures on its total revenue from its hotel, restaurants, bars, poker and other games.
Odawa Casino Revenue Sharing Numbers
For the article, see here. An excerpt:
When handing out the latest community proceeds from local Indian gaming, the Emmet County Local Revenue Sharing Board had about $250,000 more to work with than in the previous round.
This spring, the board used a new, more specific framework to allocate money, one which put the largest funding awards in categories such as infrastructure and education.
Local governments appoint the three-member board to allocate gaming dollars twice a year. Under its gaming compact with Michigan, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians must make 2 percent of electronic gaming receipts from its casino available to the community.
The latest payout — about $840,000 — included gaming receipts from July-December 2007, up from $590,000 in the previous round. In June 2007, the tribe opened the Odawa Casino Resort to replace its smaller Victories Casino.
Ho-Chunk Nation v. Wisconsin Cert Petition
Ho-Chunk Nation has filed a cert petition in its dispute over revenue sharing with the State of Wisconsin.
Here is the petition — hcn-cert-petition
Here is the docket site — No. 07-1402.
Here are the rest of the materials — CA7 opinion and some briefs — rest of the materials.
Discord on Pokagon Revenue Sharing Board
Funny/sad thing about all this is that the 1993 compacting tribes, who still retain the right to decision where the two percent money goes, never have this problem — and yet the State tries so hard to take it away.
From Indianz:
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians agreed to share 2 percent of gaming revenues with local governments in Michigan but officials in one county still can’t agree how to distribute the money.
Berrien County’s Local Revenue Sharing Board has been trying for the past six months to decide how to spend $977,266 from the Four Winds Casino. One official became so unhappy with the process that he resigned from the board. The other board members, however, say they have reached an agreement on distributing the money. They hope to receive the first payment in time for the tribe’s second on May 31.
Get the Story:
Disagreements continue over distribution of casino revenue (WSBT 4/28 )
Casino proceeds remain elusive (WNDU 4/28 )
Gun Lake Band Compact as Model for Future Michigan Compacts
From Mlive:
The Gun Lake Tribe’s compact may be a model for agreements to be renegotiated in the next four to five years, according to James Hill, professor at Central Michigan University.
The compact is different from earlier agreements in three major ways. The tribe agreed to share revenue on an increasing scale, beginning with eight percent and rising to 12 percent of slot machine revenues, calculated on gross revenues. As the tribe makes more, it pays the state a higher percentage.
That might be the wave of the future, Hill said.
Another difference is the size of the exclusivity zone. instead of the whole state, the Gun Lake Tribe agreed to nine counties surrounding its Wayland casino.
California Compact Dispute Argued before the Ninth Circuit
Here are the briefs in San Pasqual Band v. Schwarzenegger:
california-tribal-business-assn-amicus
And here is news coverage from Indianz:
Keno Case Settled
From the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
TRAVERSE CITY — A settlement in a three-year-old lawsuit between the state and two northern Michigan Indian tribes will reduce Michigan’s cut of tribal gambling money, but will shake loose millions in escrowed state revenue.
The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians in Petoskey and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians in Manistee approved a settlement with the state to end a long-running dispute over the Michigan Lottery’s Club Keno game.
Pokagon Revenue Sharing Dispute Under Negotiation
From the Michigan City News-Dispatch:
ST. JOSEPH, Mich. – Negotiations between the state and the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians to resolve problems blocking the distribution of casino revenue to local governments should wrap up in 60 to 90 days, a tribal official said.
The tribe, saying it was concerned over actions taken in forming the Local Revenue Sharing Board and its bylaws, withheld in escrow the first payment from electronic gambling earnings at the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo Township. The payment was due in December.
Grand Traverse Band Revenue Sharing Slowly Declining
From the Leelanau Enterprise (H/T Indianz):
This winter’s “2-percent” payments from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are down for the third year in a row to the lowest level in more than a decade.
The twice-yearly payments represent two percent of the revenues earned from video slot machines at the tribe’s Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown and Turtle Creek Casino in Grand Traverse County. The tribe is required to pay out the money to local units of government in the immediate vicinity of tribal casinos for governmental services and “for impacts associated with existence” of tribal casinos in their vicinity under terms of a 1993 federal court consent decree. Since 1994, the tribe has paid out around $18 million in “2-percent” money.
Turtle Talk 
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