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California Gambling Control Commission Under Pressure25 January 2001SAN DIEGO, California – Jan. 25, 2001 – As reported by the North County Times: "Still a member short, understaffed and under pressure, the newly formed California Gambling Control Commission is expected to get an earful today from San Diego County residents, representatives and tribal officials. "With nearly a dozen planned casinos, San Diego County is at the forefront of what has been described as a tidal wave of Indian gambling, and county officials are struggling with environmental concerns, jurisdictional issues and looming traffic problems. "…Since state voters approved gambling on Indian lands last year, about eight tribes in San Diego County have proposed new gambling casinos on their reservations, four of them in North County. The Barona, Viejas and Sycuan bands in East County plan to expand their gambling operations. "The Pechanga reservation near Temecula, in Riverside County, is also planning to build a new facility to replace the temporary casino the tribe has operated since 1995. "…The surge of Indian gambling has caught many by surprise, including the county board of supervisors, which reviewed the casino plans and concluded the county would need to spend about $168 million to improve county roads around the reservations. "At today's meeting, the commission will review a plan to distribute among non-gambling tribes $36 million that is being held in a revenue-sharing trust fund. The money was collected from gambling tribes as initial licensing fees for new slot machines and quarterly fees for existing slot machines. "…The decision on how to split the money could be thorny because even the tribes disagree. Tribes with smaller gambling operations say they should be given an equal share, while others insist on a strict interpretation of the agreement with the state…" |