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Pennsylvania Governor: Tribal Casinos Unlikely

PENNSYLVANIA – As reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Gambling casinos owned and operated by Indian tribes are unlikely to open in Pittsburgh or elsewhere in Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday.

"Rendell predicted efforts by the Delaware Indian Tribe and Delaware Nation to open limited casinos in the state -- including one near the stadiums on the North Shore -- would fail. A spokesman for the tribes refuted the governor, saying a limited casino featuring high-stakes bingo, video bingo and poker could be operating in the state in 12 to 18 months.

"At a news conference in Harrisburg, Rendell said he has yet to see any Indian tribe that comes close to meeting the legal threshold of proving an ancestral home in Pennsylvania. Under the National Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, Indian tribes became eligible to open gambling operations on certain types of land, regardless of state laws that prohibit gambling. Some form of Indian casinos have opened in 28 states.

"…Asked what he thinks about the chances of a group such as the Delaware Tribe gaining a Class II gambling permit, which requires federal approval but not state approval, Rendell said: 'I don't think we're anywhere close to having that happen.'…"

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