COUNTY ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AGAINST TRIBE COULD VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW

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May 29, 2012 (Santa Ysabel) – The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), the federal agency charged with oversight of gaming on Indian lands, has warned the County of San Diego that its recent debt collection effort against the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel could violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). 

 

Due to the recession and financial condition of its casino, the tribe has been unable to meet the agreed payment schedule under an arbitrated settlement reached in 2010. In its collections effort against the tribe, the county has attempted to levy against the tribal casino’s operating accounts.  In a letter yesterday to County Attorney Thomas Bunton, the NIGC cautioned the county that seizure of the tribal casino’s operating monies would violate Indian gaming laws. 

 
The NIGC explained that collection of the casino’s operating monies would amount to management of the tribe’s casino and that “IGRA prohibits any party other than an Indian tribe from managing a tribal gaming facility without an approved management contract. 25 U.S.C. § 2711.”  Management without a management contract expressly approved by the Chairperson of the NIGC is illegal and could result in the voiding of the intergovernmental agreement under which the county is seeking $3 million.
 
The county has previously defended its actions.  See prior coverage at

 


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Comments

Anyone else?

Am I the only one who wonders how we ended up with thousands of "sovern" nations within our sovern nation? To quote Rodney King.."cant we all just get along..?"

Maybe it's time the great socialist experiment called the Bureau of Indian Affairs go by by and we make an effort to unite all Americans?