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Official: Tribes should dole out casino money

SASKATCHEWAN -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The NDP provincial government is "reasonably happy" with First Nations' financial reports concerning casino-revenue spending, despite "gaps" in the process, a senior provincial employee says.

"Meanwhile, the head of a multimillion-dollar trust fund that doles out profits from Saskatchewan's casinos says he's too busy to keep close track of the money, and a Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) executive member says accountability for spending should rest with First Nations governments.

"According to a 2002 profit-sharing agreement between the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority and FSIN -- which operates the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) -- SIGA contributes 37.5 per cent of its casino profits to the First Nations Trust Fund and an additional 37.5 per cent of its earnings to the provincial government.

"The bulk of the remaining 25 per cent goes to the community development corporations associated with each of Saskatchewan's four First Nations-run casinos. The trust fund also receives 25 per cent of the profits from the province's government-run casinos in Regina and Moose Jaw -- an amount expected to be about $8.4 million this year..."

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