Federal Courts Uphold Tribes Gaming Expansion

Indian gaming has had its share of debates and debacles over the years. Here is the latest word on Indian gaming.

A federal appeals court upheld California's voter-approved expansion of tribal gambling Monday, saying federal law lets states grant Indian tribes a monopoly on Nevada-style casinos.

The ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected challenges by card rooms and charitable organizations to casinos run by 62 tribes that have signed compacts with the state. The opponents argued that exclusive tribal control of unrestricted casino gambling was unauthorized by federal law and amounted to an unconstitutional racial preference.

The appellate court's decision also removes an obstacle to one tribe's plan to open the state's first metropolitan-area casino in the west Contra Costa County city of San Pablo.

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