Nebraska has joined a lawsuit filed by Iowa and the city of Council Bluffs to prevent the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska from developing a casino on its reservation land near Carter Lake, Iowa.
The land can only be accessed by way of Nebraska, where gambling is illegal. The tribe has more than 4,000 members, who live in Iowa and Nebraska.
Council Bluffs, Iowa has three commercial casinos.
Ponca Tribal Chairman Larry Wright Jr. reacted to the action: “We’re confident that the court will affirm the decision of the National Indian Gaming Commission that our tribe has the right to conduct gaming on our sovereign land,” said Wright. “Today’s announcement from the state of Nebraska will not stop the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska from developing our sovereign land in a way that allows us to better serve our members and provide a positive economic impact in the Carter Lake community.”
In 2007 the National Indian Gaming Commission ruled that the tribe could develop a casino at Carter Lake, despite the property’s access problems. It is the only city in Iowa that is west of the Missouri River.
A lawsuit led to a judge’s ruling that the NIGC must reconsider its decision. It reconfirmed that decision in 2017—and was joined by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
