In the US, the Native American tribe that owns the giant Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut has been struggling through a financial crisis and pursuing more revenue from US government grants.
The money provided annually to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation through the Interior Department and the Department of Health and Human Services has risen over the last five years to more than $4.5m.
One former tribal employee says department leaders were encouraged to offset dwindling resources by seeking more federal grants.
The Pequots, who once distributed stipends exceeding $100,000 annually to adult members, are not alone among gaming tribes seeking more federal aid. Several, including the owner of Foxwoods' rival Connecticut casino, the Mohegan Sun, say they have been pursuing more grants.
It is a trend that critics find galling because the law that gave rise to Indian casinos was intended to help tribes become financially self-sufficient.
