Future of Alabama Casino Uncertain?
The Muscogee Creek Nation has asked a federal appeals court to reconsider whether or not the Poarch Band of Creek Indians violated a burial ground and should tear down its Wind Creek Casino in Wetumpka, Ala. The Muscogees got their day in court, according to a Sept. 25 Courthouse News report. The tribe asked a three-judge panel to require demolition and the restoration of its sacred grounds. The case dates to 2012, and a lower court ruled in the Poarch Band’s favor.
The court said the filing “combined multiple causes of action into single claims,” which it found confusing, but Judge William Prior did express sympathy and suggested that there may have been a “fundamental problem with how the district court looked at this.”
During oral arguments, justices questioned whether or not government lawyers could effectively represent the Poarch Creeks, who are defendants along with the U.S. Department of the Interior and Auburn University.
The court did not indicate when it would rule.
Pope Country Casino Initiative Still in Question
Arkansas’ attorney general Sept. 23 filed a brief on behalf of Secretary of State John Thurston arguing that votes for a proposed Pope County casino initiative not be counted in November. According to Yahoo!, at issue is that ballot sponsor Local Voters in Charge did not certify signatures, canvassers did. Arkansas law requires that the ballot sponsor handle certification, meaning that the “interpretation of the ballot certification law” is in question.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment holds the rights to a casino license in Pope County. The Arkansas Racing Commission awarded the Cherokees a license in June. Amendment 2 would repeal the authorization for a casino in Pope County and require countywide voter approval for a new casino license. The license has been at issue for several years since voters in 2018 approved legal sports betting and four brick-and-mortar casinos.
New Renderings Released for Bally’s-Osage MO Casino
On Sept. 24, representatives from Osage River Gaming & Convention and Bally’s Corp. presented new renderings for its casino proposal to the Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen in Missouri. According to Lake Expo, the proposal includes the casino as well as a hotel, conference center and other amenities.
The matter will go before state voters on the November ballot. If approved, the Missouri Constitution would be amended to add an additional casino license and allow gambling on the Osage River—it currently only allows gambling on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
Five Ex-Dealers File Wrongful Termination Suit Against Harrah’s Ak-Chin
Five former table games dealers from Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino in Maricopa, Ariz. have filed a wrongful termination suit against the casino after being fired for allegedly colluding with gamblers to cheat an electronic craps game, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
In the suit, the dealers argue that they were stationed at Aruze Roll to Win craps games without proper training, and cheaters used this to manipulate the gameplay and win large amounts of money.
Upon investigating the losses, the casino then concluded that the defendants had colluded with the gamblers and terminated them. The Ak-Chin Tribal Gaming Agency initially suspended the licenses of all five but eventually reinstated four; the Arizona Department of Gaming did not suspend any of the dealers, citing the casino’s lack of training for the game.The claimants are seeking a jury trial and accuse Harrah’s of discrimination and retaliation.
Five Kewadin Casinos to Go Smoke-Free
On Sept. 20, the board of directors for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians announced that it approved a resolution to require all of its Kewadin Casino locations to go smoke-free in the next six weeks.
“The board’s decision to go smoke-free at our Kewadin casinos is another step on our broader path focusing on health and wellness of the communities we serve,” Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes said in a statement. “We’ve been very focused as a tribal government on improving health, and this transition to smoke-free casinos is the right step forward that ensures we are creating a welcoming experience at Kewadin facilities that everyone can enjoy.”
