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Court Rules in Favor of Nebraska Tribe21 March 2003LINCOLN, Nebraska – As reported by the Associated Press: "A federal appeals court said Thursday that the Santee Sioux tribe can keep the 50 or so gaming machines that make up its modest casino in Knox County. "The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the so-called `pull-tab' slot machines are not illegal. "…The tribe's attorney, Conly Schulte, hailed the ruling. "`This decision is highly significant not only for the Santee Sioux tribe but tribes across the country,' he said. `Now tribes may operate certain video electronic gambling machines without having to get a tribal-state compact and without threat of prosecution from the federal government.' "…The federal government allows tribes to sign agreements with states to offer gambling on tribal land, but Nebraska has refused to do so. "In June 2001, the tribe replaced the casino's slot machines with pull-tab machines that dispense pull-tabs when money is put into them. "…Thursday's ruling does not effect some $4 million in fines that have accumulated since 1999, when U.S. District Judge William Cambridge imposed a $3,000 daily fine on the tribe for failing to close the casino. He raised the daily fine to $6,000 that June." |