Proponents of Indian gaming agree that many tribes have been defrauded over the past several centuries but argue that such losses result from the activities of criminals and others of shady intent rather than from indigenous gullibility. They point out that many people were exploited by the Abramoff ring and that it was so deeply entwined with the federal government that nothing short of a major investigation would have exposed it. Indeed, officials from the House of Representatives, Department of the Interior, and White House subsequently served prison time for their roles in the Abramoff scandal, while Representative Tom DeLay, House majority leader (2003–05), resigned in its wake .

• We will not stand by quietly while wealthy tribes try to misuse court resources to hurt our employees, their families and our communities.”
• Speaking at a panel on the next five years of tribal gaming, Pechanga chairman Mark Macarro expressed that mobile sports betting in itself, with its single-digit profit margins, didn’t pose a threat to Indian country.
• The findings of this study have important implications for the support of a smoking ban in tribal casinos in California.
• KUMEYAAY.INFO does not endorse gambling or recommend any listed or unlisted gambling casinos — please read the KUMEYAAY.INFO Disclaimer and verify all information with the California casinos.

Now, more educated in the court rulings, treaties, and laws passed in the 1970s and `80s that gave the tribes more independence, tribal members are able to use the political process to fight unfair legislation like the Pala Compact. This manifestation of tribal sovereignty, however, is dependent upon the successful economic development of the tribes. It is, thus, necessary for tribes to preserve their lucrative gaming operations and prevent the `new buffalo’ from becoming an endangered species.

Policy & Public Interest

Opposition for the initiative is coming from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. The Native American tribe has been active in blocking efforts for the legalization of online poker. Currently there is legal online poker in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware. It is believed that if online poker could be legalized in California, it should be viable based on the state’s population. Three California tribes will appeal last week’s decision of a US District Court judge to dismiss their case to stop state-licensed cardrooms from hosting blackjack, baccarat and other house-backed games. The case was brought in 2019 by five California tribes trying to renegotiate their gaming agreements with the state. District Judge Anthony Ishii of Fresno said state negotiators “crossed the line” by demanding tribal acceptance of California state policies in child support, spousal support, discrimination, injury cases and construction projects.

As a result, the popular casino games craps and roulette look a little different at Indian casinos in San Diego. Casinos have invented creative workarounds that simulate similar odds to craps and roulette but comply with the legal definition of house-banked card games. Many of the Indian casinos in San Diego country now host a lot more than that, including entertainment, golf courses and even water parks, making them great holiday destinations for the whole family.