Indian tribes take early lead in ballot initiative battle over tribal casinos

Michelle DeArmond

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998 | 8:54 a.m.

LOS ANGELES - California's Indian tribes took an early lead Tuesday in their battle with Nevada casinos over gambling on tribal lands and went down in history as waging the most expensive initiative campaign ever.

Early returns showed the measure known as Proposition 5 winning 59 percent to 41 percent, with 1 percent of precincts reporting. The results mirrored pre-election polls that indicated the ballot initiative would pass.

The measure was designed to allow the state's tribes - many of whom were already running the popular slots - to use Nevada-style video slot machines deemed illegal by Gov. Pete Wilson. The tribes described passage of the proposition as vital to their economic survival. Opponents predicted passage of the initiative would lead to the spread of unregulated, untaxed gambling statewide.

In the end, the two sides shelled out about $100 million in an effort to sway voters - mostly with slick, emotionally charged television spots that seemed to dominate campaign advertising around the state in recent months. It was nearly twice the previous record amount ever raised for a single initiative - $57.5 million for a 1996 securities fraud measure.