The question about the establishment of a tribal casino managed by the Tohono O’odham Nation has created a lot of disagreements over the last couple of months.
At the end of April, the US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs passed the so-called S.152. In case the bill receives the approval of the House and Senate members, neither the Tohono O’odham Nation, nor any other tribe will be allowed to establish a casino in the region. The ban is to be lifted in 2027, when the Arizona tribal gaming compact expires.
Back in March, similar bill was approved by the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. The sponsors of the current bill are Senator Jeff Flake and Senator John McCain.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Jon Tester, did not hesitate to express his disapproval of the bill and pointed to the negative consequences it would lead to. Mr. Tester said that if the bill is put into force, all tribes in the United States will become very careful when it comes to entering agreements with the US government. He also reminded that the bill interferes with the established traditions of the Nations and can be regarded as a dangerous precedent.
The Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, Ned Norris Jr, also supported the announcement of Mr. Tester in a press release, which was published soon after the bill got the nod of Senate Committee on Indian Affairs’ members.
Mr. Norris said that the Tohono O’odham Nation members absolutely agree with the announcement of Senator Tester and added that the tribe has never violated the law. Now the federal government is breaking its word, which raises the question about its reliability when it comes to agreements with the tribes.
As reported earlier, the West Valley casino attracted many opponents and proponents and according to people with knowledge on the matter those who are against the casino construction continue lobbying and defending their interests.
Yet, Tohono O’odham Nation leaders take pride in having won a number of legal battles but the other tribes that consider the future casino a threat to their business have spent a fortune on campaigns against the West Valley casino. However, the lobbying campaigns seem to be at the expense of taxpayers.
As for the proponents of the casino construction, they are mainly disappointed by the fact that the casino could be an excellent opportunity for diversifying the local economy, but they cannot take a chance against the interests of a group of influential people.
