UMD TO OFFER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN TRIBAL ADMINSTRATION

The Duluth News-Tribune is reporting that the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has approved the creation of a bachelor's degree program in tribal administration at the University's Duluth campus (UMD). The action follows creation in 2011 of a master's degree program in the same field. Both programs are firsts in the nation.

The Tribal Administration and Governance (TAG) program was developed in response to a "strong need" among tribal governments in the midwest and nationwide, according to Tadd Johnson, director of graduate studies for the Department of American Indian Studies. There are 566 federally recognized Indian tribes in the U.S., including 11 each in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Much of the program will be offered online, to make it more accessible to those who are unable to travel to Duluth for their studies. The curriculum covers federal Indian law, tribal government and tribal management in key areas such as health and human services, natural resources, education, housing, finance and economic development, and human resources, Johnson said.

MIGA Executive Director John McCarthy said the UMD program will be a tremendous resource for tribal governments. "Many people don't understand that tribal governments have responsibilities and obligations to their citizens, just like states. Whether they're spending federal funds or gaming revenues, they have to provide services and manage programs to meet the needs of the community. They need qualified, well-educated people to do that. Tadd Johnson and UMD have done a great service for Indian country by developing these degree programs, and they should be congratulated for it."

NEW JERSEY EYES SPORTS BETTING TO OFFSET CASINO FAILURES

In the wake of several major casino closings in Atlantic City, New Jersey leaders, including Governor Chris Christie, are "hoping sports betting can end Atlantic City's losing streak," according to a September 9 article in the Washington Post. The  article reports that the Governor's office has filed a motion in U.S. District Court and issued a statewide "directive" that would allow casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting "without fear of criminal or civil liability."

A statement posted on the official website of Governor Christie's office said the directive was issued after  a ruling in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that the state is free to remove restrictions against sports betting if it desires to do so. Although Governor Christie consistently has supported the authorization of sports betting, he vetoed a bill to approve the activity because he feared it would violate the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). The Third Circuit decision found that nothing in PASPA would prohibit the state from removing its own prohibition against sports wagering.

A slow economic recovery and increased competition in neighboring states have been blamed for the closing of three Atlantic City casinos and the loss of 5,900 casino jobs so far this year.  Gambling revenues in the city have dropped by 45 percent since 2006, the Post reports.

TRIBAL ONLINE POKER SITE DELAYED INDEFINITELY

The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel has announced that the online poker site it planned to launch earlier this month will be delayed indefinitely, according to PokerUpdate, an online gambling newsletter. Representatives of the tribe told the publication that they have not set a new launch date, pending "double and triple checking everything."

The article cited speculation that the delay is due to lingering concerns about the legality of the online venture, called PrivateTable.com. Although tribal representatives insist that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) allows the tribe to proceed, the California state legislature has not yet legalized online poker for California residents. Currently, Californians are able to play PrivateTable.com for play-money, but online gambling for real money remains illegal in the state.

However, that could change, according to a second article, this one in CardPlayer, another online news source. In an August 29 story, writer Brian Pempus reported that law professor and gambling expert I. Nelson Rose believes California will legalize online poker next year. Rose believes that "gaming interests in the state are more aligned that ever before on the internet poker issue." Tribes and commercial gambling companies have lobbied for the change, but Rose said election year politics got in the way of passage in 2014. Nevada already has approved online poker; New Jersey and Delaware have approved multiple online options, including slots as well as poker and other games.

CASINOS NO LONGER SURE WINNERS FOR STATE, NY TIMES REPORTS

'The long-standing image of gambling as a no-doubt winner for state governments has quietly gone the way of a bettor's bankroll after too many hours at the tables', according to an August 10 article in the New York Times.

The report suggests that New York State's decision to "charge headlong" into the casino business may not produce the revenue and job creation benefits that supporters, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, have promised as a "powerful economic jump-start" for economically stagnant regions of the state. Four regional full-service gambling resorts are expected to win approval this year and open next year.

Analysts and experts interviewed by the Times suggested that the gambling market already may have reached the saturation point in the Northeast. They cite casino closings in Atlantic City and cost-cutting measures at Foxwoods as just a few indications of shrinkage in the regional gaming market. In addition, the article notes that at least four of the state's nice racetrack casinos (racinos) could be "undercut and endangered" by the new casinos.

The article highlights another challenge for state officials: "choosing between areas in the greatest need of economic assistance and those where a casino could deliver the greatest impact for the state." The state comptroller's office has warned that most of the players in regional casinos will come from nearby communities rather than outside the state, producing no net gain in economic benefit.

Tribal casinos in New York were threatened with expansion in their own backyards unless they agreed to share revenues with the state. They agreed to the state’s terms, and now the Mohawk, Seneca and Oneida tribes are paying hundreds of millions into New York State coffers. The tribes are no longer actively opposing the state's effort to open new gambling venues.

U.S. SENATORS URGE REINSTATEMENT OF ONLINE GAMBLING BAN

U. S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Attorney General Eric Holder urging them to return to the previous reading of the Wire Act of 1961, reports the August 1 edition of PokerNewsDaily online. In December 2011, the Justice Department reinterpreted the Wire Act, issuing a statement that the law "no longer bans gambling over the Internet as long as the betting is not on the outcome of a sporting event."

According to the online report, the three senators say the DOJ opinion "could usher in the most fundamental change in gambling in our lifetimes by turning every smart phone, tablet and personal computer in our country into a casino available 24 hours a day." The letter expresses their concern that online gambling could "open the door to money laundering and other criminal activity," and "prey on children and society's most vulnerable."

In March this year, Senator Graham introduced a bill to return the Wire Act to its original interpretation. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced a companion bill in the House. Neither Chamber has taken action on the proposed legislation.

The member tribes of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) adopted a set of principles in April 2014 to guide the association's response to any significant internet gaming legislation that may be introduced in Congress. They include:

1)  Indian tribes are sovereign governments with a right to operate, regulate, tax and license internet gaming, and those rights must not be subordinated to any non-federal authority;

2) Internet gaming authorized by Indian tribes must be available to customers in any locale where internet gaming is not criminally prohibited;

3) Consistent with long-held federal law and policy, tribal revenues must not be subject to tax;

4) Existing tribal government rights under tribal-state compacts and Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) must be respected;

5) The legislation must not open up the IGRA for amendments;

6) Federal legalization of internet gaming must provide positive economic benefits for Indian Country; and,

7) Indian tribes possess the inherent right to opt into a federal regulatory scheme to ensure broad-based access to markets.

MIGA Executive Director John McCarthy said Minnesota tribes have not taken a formal position on internet gambling, but generally support the NIGA principles, which underscore federal policies supporting Indian self-determination and the U.S. Constitution's recognition of tribes as sovereign governments.

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.