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Tribes, Club Owners At Odds Over Gaming

LOS ANGELES-Opening arguments are expected this week in a lawsuit that claims Indian-owned casinos have an unfair advantage over competitors. The eventual ruling could either fuel the state's casino-building boom or kill it.

By David W. Myers | Updated on November 17, 2001

LOS ANGELES-Lawyers this week are expected to begin arguing a potentially far-reaching case that could end the long casino-building boom in California—or perhaps start a brand new round of construction.

The lawsuit was filed by a group of card clubs and bingo-parlor owners, who say it’s unconstitutional for the government to make them follow one set of rules while casinos owned by the state’s Indian tribes are allowed to follow another. Non-Indian owners are essentially being discriminated against, they claim, and it’s costing them millions of dollars in lost profits.

Construction of Indian-owned casino-hotels in California has skyrocketed since a law was passed about two years ago allowing tribes to offer Nevada-style gambling that includes slot machines and other popular games. Casinos that aren’t owned by Indians can offer only poker and a handful of other card games, which limits their appeal to gamblers.

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