U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell dismissed a request by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for the disclosure of more information regarding the Tohono O’odham Nation’s plan for the construction of a $200-million casino not far from the city of Glendale.
Arizona and the tribe have been quarreling over the project since 2009, when it was first proposed. Recently, the state has turned to court in order to gain access to certain tribal documents that would eventually help legislators prevent the gaming facility from being completed.
Judge Campbell said that some of Arizona’s requests were too broad and burdensome. However, he admitted that the state should receive information such as audited financial reports as well as estimates on how much the tribe would earn provided that casino gambling is not allowed at the premises of its property. If this happens, the new gaming facility would offer bingo games, as the state has not the legal right to ban those.
The Attorney General’s Office is to receive copies of the Tohono O’odham financial statements dating back to 2009 as well as reports on the potential gaming revenue by Wednesday.
The casino is expected to open doors later this year. A hearing on the dispute between the Tohono O’odham Nation and Arizona is scheduled to take place in September. State officials said they would need the requested information in order to be able to prepare for the hearing in question.
Last month, Arizona Gaming Director Daniel Bergin alleged that the tribe was involved in a fraud back in 2002, when the state and tribal officials from across the state were negotiating a compact that authorized tribes to establish casinos provided that they shared a portion of their revenues with Arizona.
Tohono O’odham officials filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that its actions were illegal. And as already mentioned, Arizona officials requested more information on the casino plan in turn.
For instance, one of the state legislators asked to be presented with documentation that supports the tribe’s claim that 40% of the new casino’s employees would be members of Native American tribes. Tohono O’odham provided its own reports containing information about the expected hiring as well as about members of the tribe that are currently employed at other casinos. Judge Campbell ruled that the data was sufficient for now and dismissed the state’s demand for more details.
As mentioned above, the state was also denied information about how much the tribe would lose in case it is forbidden to offer casino-style games at its newest property. Back in 2009, when talks about the casino started, the Tohono O’odham provided reports compiled by outside consultants. Those reports contained details about the income the gaming facility would generate as well as the money that would be spent on its construction.
Last but not least, the state will not receive details about the impact the casino would have on Maricopa County, where it is to be located.
