MIGA'S ANNUAL GOLF TOURNEY SET FOR JUNE 23

The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) will host its 21st annual golf tournament on Monday, June 23 at The Meadows at Mystic Lake. The event is MIGA's primary fundraising activity, with proceeds augmenting the organization's budget for education and advocacy programs.

"We're proud of MIGA's record of advocacy on behalf of all Minnesota tribes, and we have been blessed with very strong support from the vendors and suppliers who share our commitment to Indian gaming," said MIGA Executive Director John McCarthy. "Our annual golf tournament is a great way to bring everyone in the Minnesota Indian gaming community together for a day of fun and fellowship."

The Meadows at Mystic Lake is an award-winning course, named one of the top ten casino golf courses in the country by Golfweek Magazine in 2009, and one of the top ten new golf courses in the country by Golf Digest in 2006.  It is noted for its spectacular setting, surrounded by 11 acres of wildflowers and other native prairie plantings with 80 bunkers, 13 holes with water, 20 fountains, and a 2,500-foot stream with four waterfalls. The USGA has rated The Meadows as 74.7 with a slope rating of 145.

Golfers will tee off at 10 am in a three-person scramble with two teams on a box. Participation is limited to 36 teams. Vendors may sponsor a hole for $2,500, or a hole and a team for $3,100.  An awards ceremony and buffet will follow at approximately 4:00 pm

The deadline for sponsor and team registration is Friday, June 13. For more information contact MIGA by email.

GOVERNOR VETOES BILL PROHIBITING ONLINE LOTTERY SCRATCH-OFF SALES

Governor Mark Dayton has vetoed SF 2642, a bill prohibiting the sale of lottery scratch-off tickets on the internet, at gas pump terminals and at ATMs. The Governor announced his veto on Friday, May 30, in a letter to Senator Sandra Pappas, President of the Minnesota Senate. 

The bill passed with a strong bipartisan majority on the last day of the 2014 session after legislators expressed concern that Lottery officials had exceeded their authority by expanding into online ticket sales. Supporters had a strong enough majority to override a veto, but because the action came after the legislature had adjourned, they are unable to do so.

In his veto letter, Dayton rejected the argument that online lottery ticket sales represented an unauthorized expansion of the Lottery's powers. "It appears to me that the Executive Director is operating within the scope of his legislatively-established authority," wrote the Governor.

Rep. Joe Hoppe (R-Chanhassen) believes the governor's veto will lead to a strong anti-lottery bill next session, according to a May 30 Associated Press story by Amy Forliti. "In effect what the governor is saying is, it's OK for his lottery director, without consent of the Legislature...to sell tickets anywhere, anyhow in the state of Minnesota. I don't think that's right, and I think an overwhelming majority of the Legislature agrees with me. This will not stand," Hoppe is quoted as saying.

 

Anti-gambling expansion organizations, charities, gas station operators and convenience store owners were among the most active supporters of SF 2642. The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) did not take an official position on the bill, but the association has opposed further expansion of gambling in Minnesota since 1992. 

NO GAMBLING EXPANSION ON HORIZON AS LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS

The Minnesota Legislature adjourned on Friday, May 16, without passing--or even considering--any measures that would have expanded gambling in the state.

The only gambling-related measure to pass was a bill prohibiting the Minnesota Lottery from selling instant scratch games online, at gas pumps and at ATM machines. The Lottery had begun selling the games online last year. Lawmakers felt the Lottery had exceeded its authority in launching the online sales without legislative approval, and the bill passed with strong bipartisan support. Governor Dayton has until May 30 to sign or veto the measure.

MIGA tribes can't afford to become complacent, though, said MIGA Executive Director John McCarthy. "The Legislature had other priorities on its plate this year, and gambling expansion wasn't on the radar screen," McCarthy said. "But the pro-expansion forces haven't given up. They'll be back when they see an opportunity to move their agenda forward."

MINNESOTA SHOULDN'T PERMIT ONLINE GAMBLING, SAYS POLL

Nearly two-thirds of Minnesotans believe the state should not permit online gambling, according to a recent Star-Tribune Minnesota Poll of 800 Minnesota adults. The poll results, published on February 22, reveal that opposition to online gambling is strong across the board, no matter the age, gender, income or party affiliation of respondents.

The poll results were made public just a few days before the Minnesota Legislature convened on February 25, when the session's first bill was introduced--a bill that would prohibit the Minnesota Lottery from offering online gambling. The measure was authored by Senator Karin Housley.

Lottery officials have been criticized by some legislators for moving into the online sale of lottery tickets and efforts to introduce other online games without legislative approval. Minnesota Lottery Director Ed Van Petten has told legislators that his office does not need their approval to take lottery games online.

The poll results show little support for online gambling, even among younger Minnesotans who, according to lottery officials, are the target market for internet-based games. In the 18-34 age group, only 25 percent of respondents thought the state should permit online gambling, while 58 percent opposed it.

Among registered voters, 66 percent opposed online gambling while 22 percent thought it should be permitted.

The strongest opposition came from respondents who identified themselves as Republicans, with 81 percent believing the state should not permit online gambling. Among Democrats, 54 percent were opposed, while 27 percent thought it should be permitted.  Those who identified themselves as Independents opposed online gambling, 63 percent to 28 percent.

FOND DU LAC LEADER EXPLAINS TRIBE'S DISPUTE WITH DULUTH

The chairwoman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa discussed her tribe's long-standing dispute with the City of Duluth in a lengthy feature article appearing in the Sunday, November 3 edition of the Star-Tribune.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Minneapolis newspaper, Chairwoman Karen Diver explained that the 1984 profit-sharing agreement between the Fond du Lac Band and and the City of Duluth violated provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) that require tribes to have "sole proprietary interest" in their gaming operations. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), which regulates Indian gaming, has upheld that view. A  federal appellate court recently ruled that the tribe will not be required to make payments to the City going forward, but the status of withheld back payments is still in dispute. 

The article noted that Diver is one of several women now holding the top elected positions in Minnesota tribal governments. The others include Chairwoman Carri Jones of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; and Erma Vizenor, Chairwoman of the White Earth Nation. 

MIGA LEADERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST OFF-RESERVATION EXPANSION

Tribal leaders of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) have reconfirmed their strong opposition to off-reservation tribal casinos in the wake of a decision by the Department of Interior to approve the Menominee Tribe's proposal for a casino at Kenosha, about 160 miles from the tribe's Wisconsin reservation.

A guest commentary signed by eight MIGA tribal leaders appeared in the October 27 Star-Tribune. In it, tribal leaders said that the National Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) was designed to promote jobs and economic development on Indian reservations, but not to encourage widespread development of tribal casinos beyond reservation borders. Following is the complete text of the published column:

Don't let tribal gaming off the reservation

By Charlie Vig and Keven Leecy

The U.S. Department of the Interior recently approved an application by the Menominee Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin to open a casino in Kenosha, 160 miles away from the Menominee reservation. As tribal leaders, we have grave concerns about the implication of this decision for tribes in Minnesota and across the nation.

By passing the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, Congress intended to stimulate economic development and job creation on Indian reservations, which in turn would move tribal governments closer to self-sufficiency. Few people really expected Indian gaming to succeed, given the inexperience of tribes and the remote location of most reservations. However, tribal governments surprised the skeptics, building clean, well-managed, successful gaming operations that do exactly what they were intended to do — improve the lives of Indian people.

Congress also clearly intended to limit tribal gaming to reservation land and allowed off-reservation expansion only under very special circumstances. The Interior Department’s decision and its rationale suggest a dramatic change in policy far beyond the intent of IGRA.

Congress never expected or intended that all tribes, given their diverse geographic locations, would find equal success from tribal gaming operations. Historically, federal funding and other resources available to tribes have never been distributed equally. Because of factors such as location, size of land base, type of natural resources, and tribal population, some tribes have more resources available to them than other tribes.

Every Indian tribe in America lives with the history of broken treaties and promises perpetuated by the non-Indian power brokers who controlled state and federal government over the years. Tribes have learned too well the corrosive effect of unchecked greed for tribal resources. Tribal history is a history of lands and resources taken by force or swindle and lost forever.

That is why the member tribes of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) have consistently opposed the expansion of off-reservation gambling by tribes as well as by the State of Minnesota.

We know that off-reservation gambling is a slippery slope. States begrudgingly tolerate tribal gaming within their borders. As long as gaming stays on the reservation, there is less pressure on states to compete with us aggressively. But when one tribe moves off-reservation to compensate for its remote location, inevitably others will follow. And we know that even one off-reservation tribal casino will spark demands on state politicians to allow major non-Indian gambling expansion that will effectively put all tribal gaming in danger. The market in most states simply isn’t big enough to sustain healthy tribal gaming trying to compete with new state authorized or sponsored nontribal gaming.

No matter how well-intended the Department of Interior’s decision, it pits tribe against tribe. Consider Wisconsin. Some tribes endorse the Kenosha plan, while others strenuously oppose it. At least two of the tribes endorsing the plan reportedly have off-reservation applications in the works themselves. Where will it end? Open warfare among tribes has always benefited those who oppose all Indian tribes.

In Minnesota, the MIGA tribes will continue to oppose any significant expansion of gambling, whether it is proposed by the state or by another tribe. We believe Indian gaming is and should remain a reservation-based economic development tool that helps fund the vital tasks of tribal governments, create jobs for Minnesotans and improve the lives of Indian people.

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Charlie Vig is chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. Kevin Leecy is chairman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. This article was also submitted on behalf of tribal leaders Norman Deschampe, Grand Portage Band of Chippewa; Carri Jones, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; Floyd Jourdain Jr., Red Lake Nation; Melanie Benjamin, Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe; Kevin Jensvold, Upper Sioux Community; and Denny Prescott, Lower Sioux Indian Community.

MIGA GOLF TOURNEY SET FOR JUNE 17

The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) will hold its 2013 golf tournament on Monday, June 17, starting at 10:00 am at The Meadows at Mystic Lake Resort & Casino. The gathering is the organization's only annual fundraising event. Proceeds help defray association operating costs. The event is co-sponsored by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Wells Fargo.

MIGA Executive Director John McCarthy said the tournament is designed to give tribal leaders and staff an opportunity to socialize with their vendors and suppliers. MIGA tribes spend more than $539 million annually purchasing goods and services for their tribal gaming and governmental operations from vendors located in Minnesota and throughout the midwest. Those purchases are a significant part of the $2.75 billion in total economic impact generated by Minnesota Indian gaming.

"The tournament is a great chance for tribal leaders to express their appreciation to the vendors," said McCarthy, "and it also gives the vendors an opportunity to say thanks for the business, and show their support for the tribes."

The tournament is a three-person scramble with two teams on a box. The day will conclude with a social hour starting at 2 pm, and awards luncheon at 3 pm. Fees are shown on the flyer below.