California Tribes Aims to Convince Residents of Slots Gaming Compact Merit

On March 29th, 2007, about four famous and well-to-do American Indian tribes in California are more than ready to spend a total of $80 million to shield the gaming deals that they have signed with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the legislature. The agreements would have allowed the Indian tribes to offer 17,000 slot machines-enough to fill eight Las Vegas-sized casino facilities.

In exchange for that, they would give some part of their profits to the state of California. The four tribes, the Penchanga Band of Luiseno Indians in Temecula, the Agua Caliente Band in Palm Springs, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Cabazon and the Sycuan Band near San Diego have already given $44 million to push their gambling compact. Tribal leaders are not taking any chances about the status of their gaming compact and are doing everything in their power to ensure that their gaming compact cannot be overturned.

The four tribes are also expected to pour tens of millions of dollars for their advertisement campaign. But racetrack owners and a casino workers union believes that they can do something to stop the progression of the slots campaign of the tribes. They are hoping on the Indian gaming opposition and commented that they could convince residents and state voters that what the Indian tribes are saying are not really true.

Slots critics have already raised around nine million dollars but already spent most of it in arranging state referendums to try and stop the slots plans of the Indian tribes. Despite these developments, a recent poll showed that majority of the residents favors the slot machines. Bob Stern, the president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles commented that it will be a close call on the referendum.

The American Indian tribes have been focusing on the message that the gaming compacts will help California with its ongoing budget crisis. The state of California is currently facing ten billion dollars up to $14 billion budget deficit, mainly because of the credit meltdown in the housing sector and increase in expenses.

Governor Schwarzenegger is planning to declare a fiscal emergency, which will likely cause budget cuts. The ads of the tribes are promising that the gaming compacts can ease the budget deficit problems of the state and can contribute about nine billion dollars to the state coffers although there are a lot questions on whether this figure is accurate.

Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Marissa Patterson