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Pawlenty Strikes Casino Deal With Three Tribes

ST. PAUL-A $550-million Twin Cities casino could bring $200 million to the state upfront and $164 million per year once it is fully operational. No site has been selected, and only "willing communities" will be considered.

By Jim McCartney | Updated on March 05, 2005

ST. PAUL-Gov. Tim Pawlenty and leaders of three northern Minnesota Indian tribes recently unveiled a proposed partnership for a $550-million Twin Cities casino that would bring $200 million to the state upfront and $164 million per year once it is fully operational. The deal, which Pawlenty calls the historic “Gaming Fairness Partnership Agreement,” was unveiled Friday with representatives from the three tribal partners–the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the Red Lake Nation and the White Earth Nation.

The tribal units are all Ojibwe bands in the northern third of Minnesota, where some of them have now have small casinos. “The time for a better deal is here,” Pawlenty says. “This is about creating fairness–fairness for the people of Minnesota and fairness for the northern tribes who represent approximately 85% of tribal members in the state, but haven’t benefited much from existing gaming operations.” Pawlenty says he believes a majority of Minnesotans believe gaming needs to change and his proposal does so in a manner that is “responsible and fair.”

Fairness to tribes is not Pawlenty’s only issue–he’d like to see Minnesota taxpayers benefit from the rapid expansion of tribal gaming over the last 15 years. No site has been selected, although Pawlenty says it should be a “willing host community” to be selected by the Minnesota Lottery and the tribes.

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