Tribes and State reach gaming impasse

PABLO - During the regularly scheduled Tribal Council meeting Tuesday, CSKT Tribal Chairman James Steele, Jr., issued a formal statement to those in attendance regarding the Class III Gaming Compact that expired today (Thursday), "The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have reviewed the Governor's proposal. From the beginning, key principals we asked the state to consider revolved around jurisdiction and self-governance. The state has chosen not to consider our key issues. At this point, the Tribe's proposal remains unsigned."

According to tavern owners, an earlier letter by the National Indian Gaming Commission to all Class III gaming establishments, including the handful of tribal member-owned establishments on the Flathead Indian Reservation, they have until the stroke of midnight tonight (Thursday), before all Class III machines must be turned off, due to a gaming impasse regarding the Class III compact between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the State of Montana.

The letter further states that federal NIGC officials will conduct site visits to the reservation to ensure that all Class III machines are removed by December 15. Establishments who fail to have machines removed from their facility face a fine of $25,000 per day.

Because of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, all tribes are required to have a compact for Class III gaming within its state. Class I, such as traditional forms of Indian gaming and social games played where the prizes are of nominal value and Class II gaming, such as Bingo, do not require a compact and are under sole jurisdiction of tribes, at the present time.

Currently in Montana, the Governor is authorized to negotiate a compact with tribes for Class III gaming allowed within the state. State law prohibits the Governor from negotiating anything that is not currently allowed within the state, without approved legislation in Helena.

"He has offered revenue sharing that hinges on the legislature making significant changes to state law. The amount he offered is less than 25 percent of what the state receives from the state managed gaming that occurs on our reservation," Steele stated.

Since the first Class III Compact with the Tribes and the State in 1997, jurisdiction over all gaming within reservation boundaries has been a major point of contention.

"We cannot consider the governor's offer primarily because it does not address our key issues of jurisdiction and self-governance of the gaming on our reservation. The state has licensed more than 17,000 gaming machines in the state of Montana. We invite the Governor, again, to reconsider the Tribe's proposal that would save gaming for everyone. We invite the Governor to read the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that states very clearly that, Indians are intended be the sole managers of gaming on their reservations," said Steele.