The US Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs has approved plans for two tribal casinos - and rejected two others.
Larry Echo Hawk granted permission to the Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians to build a gaming facility in Yuba County, California, and also approved plans put forward by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians for a casino in Madera County.
Both applications, he said, meet the "strong standards" set out by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and each tribe has "historical connections" to the proposed gaming sites.
Two applications from California’s Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians and the Pueblo of Jemez in New Mexico were rejected, however, as both were seeking to operate casinos on land some distance from their existing reservations.
The Governor of California now has one year to concur with Echo Hawk’s decision before the parcels of land can be acquired in trust for each tribe to conduct gaming.
