Nevada lawmakers pleased with California gambling decision

Wednesday, April 29, 1998 | 9:29 a.m.

Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Gover approved the compact Saturday between California and the Pala Band of Mission Indians. The agreement sets ground rules for the types of gambling and number of casino-style machines the 850-member tribe can offer on its land near San Diego.

It also made the Pala gaming facilities subject to state and local health, safety, workers compensation and construction laws.

The compact validates California Gov. Pete Wilson's authority to negotiate with tribes. Wilson and California Indians had been at loggerheads for more than a year on the issue of reservation gambling.

"This puts teeth into the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act," said Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev.

The threat to Nevada's casino industry was not so much the competition from California tribal casinos but the potential scandal resulting from a lack of regulation, Bryan added.

"There are 14,000 illegal slot machines being illegally operated by 40 tribes in California," Bryan said. "That per se is a threat because a scandal could taint the entire industry, including Nevada's."

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the principal author of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, said the Interior Department's action was long overdue.

"The act intended for tribes to enter into compacts with states," Reid said. "The courts have made a mess of the act."

Even with the department's action, tribes are continuing to push a California ballot initiative that would allow casino gambling on Indian land.

"That is another huge threat to the Nevada economy," said Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev.

Although he welcomed the announcement, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said through a spokesman that he will keep pushing his bill to strip Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt of any authority to approve Indian gaming compacts.

Babbitt, who is Gover's boss, proposed regulations in January that would allow him to rule on gambling compacts when tribes and states reached an impasse.