A new question has been raised in the ongoing battle between the United States government on online gaming: are federally recognized tribes allowed to operate online casinos under the provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act? Tribes are allowed to operate gaming activities on tribal land provided said activities are not prohibited by federal or state law. To help clarify, the Gaming Regulator Act of 1988 created three classes of gaming...

Instead of a single casino that generates USD 240 million for Ohio counties, the gambling measure on the November ballot could lead to three casinos that pay no state and local taxes, opponents of the measure said yesterday. The gambling measure, designated as Issue 6, would provide a boost to an Oklahoma-based Indian tribe that's been struggling for years to win federal approval to open one or more casinos in Ohio, the Vote No Casinos committee said.

Temecula, California (AP) -- The Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula plans to lay off about 400 of its 4,700 workers, blaming tough economic times. The casino, the second-largest private employer in Riverside County, draws customers from across Southern California. Economist John Husing says people spend less on entertainment during an economic downturn, and the region has been hit hard by the housing slump and overall economic downturn.

A federal judge said he's powerless to block the Seminole Tribe from offering blackjack at its casinos, rejecting a Pompano racetrack's lawsuit while emphasizing the legal hurdles facing anyone tangling with the tribe. Lawyers for The Isle Casino & Racing at Pompano Park and its parent company, PPI Inc., attempted to sidestep the tribe's sovereign nation status by suing only Gov. Charlie Crist and the federal government...

Buffalo (AP) - A judge has ruled that the Seneca Indian Nation does not have the right to build a casino on a site where it has started construction. The judge, William M. Skretny, of Federal District Court, set aside a decision by the National Indian Gaming Commission that allowed the casino, ruling in favor of opponents who sued to stop it. Judge Skretny said that land the Senecas purchased in 2005 qualified as “Indian lands” under federal guidelines...

The Florida Supreme Court has overturned an agreement Gov. Charlie Crist signed with the Seminole Tribe to allow Las Vegas-style slot machines, baccarat, black jack and other card games at its facilities, which include the Hard Rock casinos in Tampa and Hollywood. The court ruled that Crist does not have the constitutional authority "to bind the state to a gaming compact that clearly departs from the state's public policy by legalizing types of gaming that are illegal everywhere else in the state."

The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, owners of the new Red Hawk casino scheduled to open later this year in El Dorado County, have agreed to pay the state the largest share of slot machine winnings of any tribe in California. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday the signing of an amended compact with the tribe that runs through 2029 and allows a maximum of 5,000 slot machines at the casino.

A federal judge who earlier said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger negotiated in bad faith with the Rincon Indian band will not force the state into new negotiations with the tribe, for now. Judge William McCurine said Tuesday that the two sides can wait until an appeals court rules on his decision that the state can't legally demand a cut of casino profits when negotiating with tribes that want to expand gambling.

Revenue at the nation’s Indian casinos grew 5 percent in 2007, significantly slower than in years past but still outpacing the growth rate at Nevada casinos amid a sluggish economy. Figures from the National Indian Gaming Commission, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of their public release, show that Indian casinos took in USD 26 billion in gambling revenue in 2007, up from USD 24.9 billion in 2006.

San Jacinto, California -- The National Indian Gaming Commission has warned a Riverside County Indian band that its casino could be closed in a "worst-case scenario" if violence continues, it was reported Sunday. "Closure of the facility might be necessary" if violent incidents continue near the Soboba Casino, Gaming Commission Chairman Phil Hogen told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Ledyard, Connecticut (Reuters) - Most of the past 400 years have been miserable for the Mashantucket Pequot. Almost annihilated by English settlers and the smallpox, the survivors were enslaved and scattered. Reduced to just a few dozen members by the 1970s, they grew lettuce and tapped maple syrup, living in poverty in trailers on a scrap of Connecticut woods. Gambling has changed all that.

The Seminole Indians are proceeding with plans to make South Florida an even bigger tourist attraction than it already is. While involved in legal battles over their expansion, the Seminoles are still moving forward with expanded gambling plans for their casinos. Late this week the Seminoles held a press conference to map out their plans for bringing blackjack to their Hollywood Hard Rock Casino. The blackjack will become a reality on June 22nd.